(. M ,' f i
c ' , . ' . ? ! . ,
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
NIL. DESPERANDUM.
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. XI.
RIDGAVAY, ELK COUNTY, PA.,. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12. 1882.
NO. 47.
The Best That I Can.
" I cannot do muoh," said a little star
"To make the dark world bright I
My silvery beam, cannot struggle far,
Throngh the folding gloom of night t
But I'm only a part of God's groat plan,
And I'll cheerfully do the beat I can 1"
What is the nee," said a fleecy cloud,'
"Of those few drops that I hold ?
Tlicy will hardly bend the lily proud,
Though caught in hor onp of gold 1
1'ot I am part of God's groat plan,
80 my treasures I'll give as well as I can ?"
A child went merrily forth to play,
But a thought, like a silver thread,
Kept winding in and out all day,
Through the happy goldon head ;
Mother said : "Darling, do all yon can,
For you arc a part of God's groat plan 1"
PhO know no more than the gloaming star,
Nor the cloud with its chalice full,
now, why, an t for what, all strange things
were j
8I10 waB only a oliild at school 1
But tho thought, " It is part of God's great
That even I should do all that I can I"
80 she liolpod a younger child along,
Whi n U10 road was rough to tho foot,
And she pans from the heart a little song
That we all thought passing sweet j
And hor father, a weary, toil-worn man,
Baid I, "I, too, will do the beet I can."
Our best I Ah ! children, tho best of us
Must hide our faces away,
When the Lord of tho vinej-ard conies to look
At our tack at tho closo of tho day I
But for strength from above, 'tis tho Master's
plan,
We'll pray, and we'll do tho best that we can
A CONFESSION.
MoRt nion would hesitate at telling
such a story of themselves. But I am
convinced that it will aff.ird a sugges
tion of mercy toward Mich as do fall,
and pome may bo turned a way from
temp'ation by its recital.
1 hud been an under clerk in a large
establishment, for many years. Natur
ally economical, my pavings had at
tained to Buch a resectable sura that I
ventured upou married life, onite as
much a a refuge from the monotony of
my inexpensive stylo of living as in
obedience to those yrarnings of nature
which a man is either very foolish 01
very bad not to heed in dno season.
Like most men, however, whose adven
tures of this kind are not followed by
tho comfort and ease which depend
upon money for their possession, in the
course of time I cumo to repent the un
dertaking; for I was in debt, and my
family had increased, while my income
hud not kept pace with my expenses
My wife lacked the courage to practice
the proper self-denial which would be
consequent upon a retrench nent of our
expent.es. I whh daily nnno ed by duns.
I hud borrowed money in eveiy avail
able quarter, and a walk in the public
streets was literally denied to me by
the fear of encountering some one to
whom I was in debt for house expenses.
Ilv-turi.ing home late one night, jaded
by a listless stroll throngh the town, I
found the junior member of the firm
awaiting me. The house had received
intelligence, after business hours, of a
transaction entered into on their ac
count, which secured the immediate
transmission to an isolated inland town
if several thousand dollars, together
with certain papers and statements
necessary to conclude the affair. It was
too important a matter to be intrusted
to tho insecurity and uncertainty of the
mail Upen a consultati jn of the mem
bers ol the fhm I had been selected to
perform the nccesf ary two days' jour
ney. I accepted the mission with alac
rity, for tho reason, among f thew, that
it would bo such a recreation as would
divert my thoughts for a time from tho
perplexities of my miserable condition.
With tho usual foresight of the firm
everything necessary to my prompt de
parture had been prearranged. The
needful papers and accounts, and the
indispensable money required to finish
tho transactions, were placed in my
bauds in an envelope addressed to the
gentleman who had acted as agent of
the concern in tho matter. A letter of
instructions were also inclosed.
I remember well the bright Septem
ber morning cn which I started on
horseback and alone on my jouruey, of
which I accomplished half the first day,
arriving at a farmhouse, whose occu
pants unhesitatingly granted my peti
tion for a share for tho night In ita
humble hospitality.
The weather had grown colder as the
evening came on, and by the time I had
reached tho house I experienced a sen
sible chill. I had with me a flask of
liquor, and was furnished, at my re
quest at bedtime, with a small quantity
cf hot water with which to compound a
sort of punch, as an antidote to the oold
I apprehended having taken.
I had removed the package of money
from my pocket and laid it on the table",
with a view of putting it under my pil
low before going to bed. As it lay on
the table the address was uppermost;
on the left-hand upper corner was a
memorandum, "85,000 inclosed." I
was standing with my back to the door.
Succeeding a few moments of entire
silence I heard a step behind me, and I
almost thought a breath upon my face.
Taming suddenly round I beheld my
host with the hot water I had called for
in a tumbler in his hand. He was
2uite beside me, and his eyes rested, or
fancied they rested, on tho package
upon the table. I must confess I was
sensibly startled by this incident My
concern was not diminished by observ
ing that he had removed his boots from
his feet, and was then standing as he had
come up, in his stockings. My first im
pulse and act was to take the water out of
his hand. Not being quite ready lo use
it I put the envelope of money on the
top of it as the moht convenient thing
to keep it hot. I did not turn the su
perscription downward, because I feated
it would betray the suspioion which. I
now positively entertained of evil in
tentions on the part cf my entertainer,
who had quitted the room as noiselessly
as he had entered. I imagined a great
many ways in which he could have
become acquainted with the cause of
mj journey, and came rapidly ,to the
conclusion that my employers' funds
were in danger. That they were actually
so became evident before the night had
passed. I recalled the man's connte
nanco vividly to my recollection, and
examined from memory his features, so
as to make some estimate of the char
acter with which I had to-deal. Phy
sically he was more than my equal.
When I fisst alighted at the house it
struck me I had seen him before, and
after some moments of further and pro
found reflection I distinctly recalled
him to my mind as a merchant who had
dealt with our firm during my early
connection with it, and who Lad failed
through the dishonesty of friends whom
he had assisted. I remembered him as
having boen spoken of as disgusted with
trade, and as having sought a home in
the wilderness with his family, and
earning s living literally by the sweat
of his brow.
There were but two bedrooms in tho
house, both on the same floor, a passage
which commenced at the head of the
stairs dividing them. While the
thoughts which I have related were
passing throngh my mind I heard voices
in the other bedroom and quietly
opened my door, which my host had
closed behind him. Standing out in
the passage I could distinguish a man's
and woman's voice. At first their lan
guage was unintelligible, but gradually
my ear became accustomed to the duty
I endeavored to put it to, and I could
distinguish that the burden of their
talk was their domestio expenses, and
tho general current of their thoughts
was the difficulty of getting throngh
with certain undertakings they had in
contemplaion or had commenced. It
was evident that the man was more
hopeful than the woman. My excited
imagination at once framed the theory
that the treasure in my possession was
designed by them to solve this diffi
culty, and that the reluctant man was
heinar urgod on by tho less scrupulous
or braver woman.
A sudden movement of one of them
toward tho door caused mo to retreat
into my room. I heard the bolt of their
door moved, and supposing it was to
unfasten it, hurried back into my own
apartment and caught at tho envelope,
intending to hasten it out of sight. In
my eagerness to grasp it, it fell off the
tumbler with the wafcred sido upper
most and opened I The wafers had
been so far dissolved by the heat and
moisture as to split in two, leaving one
half of each (there were three) on the
flap, and the other half of each on the
body of the envelope. Meanwhile,
there was no sign or sound of an inrond
into my room, which I had seen it was
impossible to fasten the door save by
moving some of the furniture against
if. I became convinced that as yet
everything was safe, and yielding to a
feeling of cnrkioily I drew the money
from the inclosure and counted it over
There were ten one thousand dollars
bills I I was astounded, and for the time
forgot the fear that so recently har
assed me. I looked at the memorandum
on the back of the envelope.
It was "$5,000." The letter was
opened be'pre me. I read it over. It
named ' jU00 as the sum inclosed.
There was evidently an error. I counted
it over again. Ten thousand dollars
was the sum before mo I Again and
again I counted it. I had been used to
handling large sums and counting
large sums of money daily ; but I actu
ally found more .difficulty in arriving
at the actual count of ten bank bills
before me than I ever before or since
encountered in counting any sum, how
ever large or however numerous the
notes. Finally, putting a chair against
the door, I spread the notes out singly
on the little table, in a row, and counted
them with my finger. Then I made
two rows of five notes each and again
counted them ; then five rows of two
each and counted them. I finally,
though slowly, became satisfied that I
had in my possession double the amount
of money I was expected to deliver
to "my employers' anent. Temptation
enteied my soul.
live thousand dollars would relieve
roc of all my debts. Here it was within !
my grasp. I had but to seal iiu the en
velope by rewetting the wafers, inclosing
but half the money, and deliver it sealed
to the agent, and my trust would be, to
all appearances, faithfully discharged.
Once tho thought occurred to rae that
possibly it was a trap sat for me by mv
employers. But their confidence iu
me was unbounded, and tho suspicion
was formed only to bo dismissed. Inlo
not attempt to glaze over tho dishon
esty of what I contemplated, but I had
been so unceasingly worried by domes
tio troubles arising from limited re
sources, and so persecuted by cred
itors, that I almost argued myself into
the conviction that appropriating the
money was simply authorized self
defense. I would p.y all my debts,
get clear with the world once more,
insist upon my wife's adopting my views
of living, sava money, get into business
for myself and finally pay back the sum.
I concluded to leave the envelope
unfastened until the morning, so as to
give myself that much more time be
fore finally deciding upon an act which
all my arguments with myself had not
made entirely reconcilable. Arrived at
this conclusion, my attention again
turned to my host and his wife. I
could hear his voice alone now. It had
been sounding alone in an elevated
tone for some moments. I crept quiet
ly to the partition dividing their apart
ment from the passage. The bright
autumn moon, which was on their side
of the house, shone through their win
dow, and through the epaoes between
the shrunken planks of the partition
and out into the passage, and upon its
floor in brilliant tars of light. It was
easy for me to see what was passing
within the room. Man and wife wore
kneeling at their bedside in prayer.
The man with uplifted head and closed
eyes, uttering an earnest supplication,
his wife beside him and one arm passed
affectionately through one of his, and her
head resting against his breast. They
were kneeling at the side of their bed
opposite me, and his face was plainly
visible. Its calm and pious expression
at the moment was a sufficient rebuke
to my unjust 'Suspicions. I began to
listen in time to hear him say: "Far
don, Oh, merciful father, not only the
sins of Thy humble servant and his
household, but turn the hearts of those
who have done evil unto him, who have
wished him injury, and who harbored
unjust suspicions of him. Bless such,
Oh, Lord, and preserve them in order
that they may turn from their ways and
seek the path of righteousness."
His serious, earnest and manly vcice
struck a chord in my? heart, not only in
sympathy with the honest and tender
supplication t iat was passing his lips,
but contrition fcr the wrong I had done
him by my suspicions. I involuntarily
compared him, whatever were his good
or bad deeds, at least an humble peni
tent before his God, with the wretch
that I had decided but a few moments
ago to make of myself by the misappro
priation of my employers' money, and
still, however, by the relief it could ob
tain for me would not quite give way to
the feeling of lepentance which was
knocking for admission at my breast. I
had half decided to turn away and drive
these better thoughts from my mind,
when I observed something mo e in a
small crib that was placed at the side
and toward the foot of the bed. Its
occupant, a grandchild, whose parent
they had informed me were dead,
awakened probably by its grandfather's
voice, rosd up, looked around, and set
tled down upon its knees, and clasping
its little hands as its grandfather's were
clasped, and looking upward, out
through the window at tho moon whose
bright light fell full upon its
darling face, began moving its lips as if
trying to repeat the words.
Nothing so like an angel ever met my
sight. The grandfather began the
Lord's prayer. The little fellowseemed
to have this by heart. He repeated it
word for word, his tiny, silvery voice
sounding in sweet accord. I oould not
turn away nor any longer resist the
better emotions whioh 1 had hitherto
kept down. A rush of repentant feel
ing passed through me with an effect
that shook every fiber. I fell upon my
knees, and with tears streaming from
my eyes joined in the concluding words
of tho prayer.
I need not say I changed my mind
with regard to the money. I passed a
quiet night and rose early, hastening
away toward my journey's end, so as to
give myself the least possible lime or
opportunity for changing roy new
formed resolution. In handing the
package to the agent I said to him that,
as thero was money in it, it might as
well be opened in my presence to see
that it was all correct, etc. He, of
course, discovered tho error and handed
me back ihe amount that was over, with
which I returned home and delivered it
up to its pre per owners in due time.
It was fortunate for me in every
way that 1 pursued the course I had
dopted. It appeared that the money
had been obtained from the bank after
bank hours, in the absence of the
teller, from one of the officers. There
were no loose notes on hand of the
larger denominations, but there were
sheets of thousands and five hundreds
signed by the president and cashier.
Either two sheets were picked up in
mistake for one, or tho wrong batch of
sheets selected from that is, thou
sands we 10 taken instead of five hun
dreds. The notes were hurriedly
clipped, strapped and indorsed
"$5,000," without recounting, and so
enveloped and handed over to me. The
bank had discovered the error, and no
doubt was entertained but that the
missing money was with me. Whether
I shoald have had the face to withstand
the imputation, even with the appar
ently undisturbed condition of tho en
velope in my favor, is more than I can
say, but I doubt it.
But tho notes, in pursuance of a pre
caution still in use in somo banks, were
payable to the order of one of tho
clerks and had not been indorsed by
him. I could not, therefore, have used
them, or if so they could have been
traced back to me. I found also that
the numbers had been carefully ascer
tained of all I had taken with me, and
thus another chance of detection ex
isted. What an escape 1
Upon returning and entering the
counting-room I handed the surplus
back to my senior, with a feeling some
what of pride, but mixed up with other
feelings not easily described.
My precaution of having the money
opened by the agent in my presence
was highly commended, and the possi
bility of his misappropriating the
nndue amount, as very little personal
knowledge of him was possessed by the
firm, was duly discussed. What was
said on this point brought blushes to
my own cheeks.
In course of time my senior account
ant was taken into tho firm. I was put
in his position, and with his salary I
saved money, finally got into business
on my own account, and am now, as you
know, rich. I never forgot my former
host and his grandchild; but at the
death of the former I took, charge of the
boy. He is ne w my partner and the
husband of my daughter.
From Candles to the Elcctrio Light.
The materials used by the ancients
for prodncing light were wax and tal
low, oil of various kinds being also used
at a later day. Their candles and
lamps were exceedingly rough and un
couth, and the light yielded was of the
feeblest description, and gave out the
most disgusting odors. Even np to the
E resent century little or no progress
ad been made, gas being unknown,
and the perfeot-burning oil lamps with
which we are so familiar having no ex
istence until many years later. Gas
was first introduced in 1802, but as late
as 1812 the Haymarket theater, in Lon
don, continued to be lighted by can
dles. Mark the contrast. Less than
forty years ago London witnessed the
drama by the dim. flickering light of
foul-smelling candles, while within the
fiast few days Paris has had the privi
ege of listening to the opera beneath
the brilliant, noon-day glare of the
eiectrio aro 1
It appears that bromide of potassium,
whioh is so extensively used as an anti
dote for sleeplessness, is largely com
posed of lead, and those who employ it
are exposing themselves to ead poison
ing. This statement is made by a Ger
man cnemut.
New York's Hirer Thieves.
New York has a large number of pro
fessional thieves, many of whom ap
parently lead an honest lifo and are not
known as dishonest members of society
except to a small circle of friends.
Chief among the claw referred to, says
a metropolitan paper, aro river thieves
or pirates, all of whom at some period
of their lives learned the art of hand
ling an oar either as an accomplishment
or in the line of duty. If one of these
should be found basking in the sun
light and mentally mapping out his
duties for the night, he could eaily
plead that he was an honest man out of
employment. Groups of theso fellows
can be ereen lounging around the Erie
basin in the daytime, playing cards or
gazing at the vessels at anchor. As a
rule these men are rough-looking fel
lows, although many i-iipesir uonest
enough. Some of them livo in tene
ment houses in New Yorkor Brooklyn,
and have good reputations not only
among their neighbors bit also in their
own families. Many ara young men,
the sons of honest parents with whom
they live. Each one knows how to dis
pose of the articles whub find thoir way
into his possession. There are a num
ber of persons who make money by buy
ing stolen goods from river pirates.
The junkmen, at best, are regarded
with suspicion. Some of them, beside
purchasing junk from the masters of
vessels, will steal whatever they can
lay their hands on. If a boy or an ap
prentice should be found alone on a
vessel the junkman will offer him a
trifling snm for some of the gear or
stores. Watchmen on vessels at anchor
in the stream are sometimes in collu
sion with the junkmen, by whom they
are well paid. According to the genu
ine boatmen, such as those at the Bat
tery, the junk business, although it is
licensed by the authorities, is dishonest,
and the men who follow it should be
classed as pirates.
On dark nights tho watchmen of the
vessels at anchor in the bay aro told to
keep a sharp lookout. Every approach
ing small boat is viewed with suspicion.
If the latter should be hailed and should
fail to answer, but row hastily away,
the watchman can feel himself free to
tire at the retreating boat without being
called to account for his conduct.
There are usually two or three pistols
in the cabin of a vessel, and a crew,
when warned, is able to repel a boatload
of river pirates, or at least to attract
the attention of the vessels in the
neighborhood. Consequently the
pirates have to proceed with great
caution. They usually select a dark
night for making an attack on a vessel
at anchor. If it is summer Ihey gen
erally pass themselves as honest work
men enjoying a quiet row, but if it is
winter they g on ILtif d'mhoaeat mis
sion with tho expectation of meeting
with danger. If the captain of a
schooner auchored in the bay is known
to Lave money in his possession the
pirates aro apt to select that vessel.
When trade is brisk and quantities
of rum, molasses or other liquids are
left on the piers, the river pirates row
in under tho docks and bore holes
through tho planks iu the flooring and
into the hogsheads above. The liquid
pours through tho holes and is caught
by the men in the bout below. One
night in tho spring of 1880 a boat con
taining four river pirates approached a
fleet of coasting schooners anchored in
Flushing bay. But the alarm was given
ia time and the crews were prepared to
defend themselves. One of the pirates
in endeavoring to escape fell overboard
and was drowned. Several of tho crews
iu tho neighborhood wero aroused rnd
the three remaining pirates were caught
and were arraigned before the authori
ties next morning. In a day or two the
trio were "railroaded to Sing Sing."
This proved a wholesome lessor,, and
for 6ome time afterward no attack was
made on a vessel at anchor. There
have been a number of cases of collu
sion between dishonest dock watchmen
and river pirates. The former wait
until the coast is clear and then give
their confederates the signal to ap
proach and begin operations, while they
mount guard and stand in readiness to
give them warning of the approach of
any one. But for tun wutenmeu on tho
vessels the river pirates would come on
board and cut all the ropes below the
belaying pins and carry them off.
The Lost Child.
In Uvalde. Texas, the little three
year-old daughter of Mr. Sam Johnson,
living on the Sabinal, wandered off
after flowers. Its absence attracted
attention before it had been gone an
hour and the family began to look for
it, but not finding it on the place at
once roused their neighbors to assist in
the search. California Brown, who had
stopped over night in the place, Ben
White, Henry Shane, several Mexicans
and the distressed parents hunted all
that day and night, and at about
o'clock on tho next day the dimt.ack
of the child's shoe was discovered by
tho practiced eye of Mr. Brown. The
party, bouyant with hope, followed the
trail with great difficulty until night,
when fires were built up in the hope of
attracting her attention. On Friday
morning the search was resumed and
fresh tracks found, which were followed
by Mr. Brown, Mr. Shane and a Mexi
can, the rest of the party having divided
and keeping up the search in different
directions. About 10 0 clock the little
one was discovered on a high hill by a
hole of water, three and a half miles
from home, with its clothing torn to
shreds by the thorns and prickly pear
through which it had worked its way.
On the approach of the hunters the
child commenced crying, and the first
remark she made was that she " wanted
to go to her mamma." Signal guns
wero immediately nrea, which soon
brought the balance of the party to tho
spot, and the feelings of the overjoyed
but heretofore frantio mother at the
finding of her living child, instead of
its bones, can be better imagined than
described. It was out two davs and
niehts. without any food whatever, and
where the tracks of panthers, and wolves
and wild cats are found thick by the
hunters.
SCIENTIFIC SOTEs.
Thirly-four species of Insects new to
Fcience have reoently boon diiovored
in the Sandwioh Islands.
It is maintained that it moteors did
not fall into the sun the temperature of
the earth would sink to 'iW degrees or
300 degrees.
Sulphurous acid is rare among the
products of Vesuvius and the volcanoes
of equatorial America ; more 0 mmon
in jiitna, and abundant in the volcanoes,
of Iceland and Java.
A paper recently read before the
British association contends that coal
must have been formed from a compact
mass of vegetation, and could not have
arisen from large trees.
After experimenting for a quarter of
a century on the variation of plants,
Doctor H. Hoffman inclines to the opin
ion that variation takes place in defi
nite directions, and that its cause is in
a preponderating degree internal.
Last snmmer, says the Journal of
Science, some common hivo bees built
a comb against the flat wall of a house
in Dorsetshire, England. A few pieces
of tho comb were exhibited at the No
vember meeting of the Entomological
society, London, and they had evident
ly contained bee grubs This is an un
exampled departure from the habits of
tho species.
Adamscobite stono is found in only
one place in the world, and that ia in
the State of Missouri. The company
which now owns the whole quarry will
transport the stone quarried to Win
chester, N. H , where it is to be manu
factured into such articles as are deemed
salable. The stone is very peculiar in
its structure and properties. Its cutting
power is diamond-like, cutting, away
steel very rapidly and still retaining an
exceedingly fine edge.
The general experience of observers
has been that the removal of forests re
sults in diminishing the size of rivers
and smaller streams traversing the ter-
itorv. This effect is often very marked
small streams disappearing entirely
and large rivers dwindling to mero
brooks. Quite a different experience is
reported from New Sonth Wales. A
ract of land embracing the watershed
of three creeks was partially cleared in
1S0. Soon after, these creeks whicn
had been dry water courses for years
became permanent streams, and have
so continued to the present time. Tho
explanation offered to account for this
phenomenon is, that a largo proportion
of tho rainfall formerly taken up by
the gum trees and evaporated now finds
its way to the streams.
He creations of Some Eminent Men.
Swift relieved his tense and tragic
moods by harnessing his servants with
cords on one occasion he insisted on
harnessing his learned and respectable
friend Dr. Sheridan and driving them
up and down the stairs and through
the rooms of his deanery, Peter the
Great sought to unbend himself by
being wheeled over the flower-beds and
neat parterres of his host's garden in a
wheelbarrow, as poor Sir William Tcni-
le found to his cost, 'lhat accom
plished diplomatist appears to have
felt his chagrin at the failure of tho
triple alliance mero child's play to his
feelings at beholding tho Russian mon-
rch riding roughshod over the priceless
tulips of Moor park. Glover, the
once famous author of "Leonidas and
the Athenaid," had the eamo dis
agreeable weakness, though, not being
safe in the " divinity which doth
hedge a king," his plebeian back re
ceived on more than pne occasion infuri
ated eudgelings at the hands of in
sulted horticulturists. Cardinal Mazarin
said to have been fond of shut
ting Limself up in a room and jumping
over the chairs, arranged in positions
varying according to the degrees of diffi
culty in clearing them. Of this weak
ness on tho part of his excellency an
amusing anecdote is told. On one
occasion, while engaged in theso ath
letic, ho forgot to lock the door. A
youpg courtier, inadvertently entering
tho room surprised the great man in
his undignified pursuit. It was an em
barassing position, for Mazarin was, he
knew, as haughty as he was eccentric,
but the young man was equal to the
crisis. Assuming the intensest interest
in the proceedings he exclaimed, with
well-feigned earnestness : " I will bet
your eminence two gold pieces I can
beat that jump." He had struck the
right chord, and in two minutes he was
measuring his leaping powers with the
prime minister, whom he took care not
to beat. He lost his two gold pieces.
but he gained before long a miter.
Samuel Clark relieved his theological
pursuits in the same way, and on one
occasion seeing a pedantio' fellow ap
proaching, said to the pupil who was
sharing his amusement : " Now we
must stop for a fool is coming in." Old
Burton, the author of the " Anatomie of
Melancholy." the only book which pot
Dr. Johnson out of his bed two hours
before he intended to rise, found his
chief recreation in going down to Folly
bridge, at Oxford, and listening to the
ribaldry of the barges, "which did cleare
away his vapoures ana make mm laugh
as be would die." I empie liar.
Why Some are Poor,
Cream is allowed to mold and spoil
Silver spoons are used to scrape kettles.
The scrubbing brash is left in the
water Nioe handled knives are thrown
in bet water. Brooms are never hung
up. .Dishciotns are tnrown where mice
can destroy them. Tubs and barrels
are left in the sun to dry and fail apart
Clothes are lelt on the line to whip to
pieces in the wind, trie crust is left to
sour instead of making a few tarts for
tea. Dried fruit is not taken care of
in season and becomes wormy. Vege
tables are thrown 'away that would
make a good dinner. The cork is left
out of the syrup jug and the flies take
possession. Bits of meat are thrown
out that would make excellent hash for
breakfast. Coffee, tea and spioes are
left to stand open and lose their
strength. Fork spoils for the want of
salt and because the brine wants scald
ing.
Pictures of Ancient Extravagance.
Crassus, when a candidate for the
consulship, gave a feast of 10.0J0 tables
t which all the citizens of Rome were
indiscriminately invited. Crosar, to
celebrate the funeral of a daughter, gave
one of 22,000 tables, with accommoda
tion for three guests at each. This en
tertainment was repeated and exceeded
for his triumph. He brought together
more gladiators and wild beasts than
were ever produced on any former oc
casion in an amphitheater, but his ex
hibitions of this kind were so com
pletely outshone that it were a waste
of time to dwell upon them. In a
documont annexed to his testament,
Augustus states as a title to pnblio
gratitude that ho had exhibited 8.000
gladiators and brought more than 3,500
wild beasts to be killed in tho circus.
In tho course 0 1 the festivities institu
ted by Titus to celebrate the opening of
the Colosseum, 5,000 wild beasts wero
let loose and killed by tho gladiators.
The Emperor Probns collected for a
single how 100 lions, 100 lionesses,
100 Libyan and 100 Syrian leopards,
300 bears and COO gladiators. Having
caused the circus to be planted with
trees to resemble a forest, ho let loose
1,000 ostriches, 1,000 stags, 1,000 does
and 1,000 boars, to be hunted by the
populace, who were to keep whatever
they could catch or kill. The fiercer
animals were encountered by tho gladi
ators. It docs not appear how long the
show lasted.
Tiberius, whose life at Capri was a
diRgraco to human nature, was fonder
of saving money than of spending it,
and he left an immense sum in the
treasury, which his successor, Caligula,
managed to dissipate in two years by
extravagance of the most senseless kind.
As if in rivalry of Cleopatra, he swal
lowed precious 6tones dissolved in
vinegar, and caused his guests to be
helped to gold (which they carried
away) instead of bread and meat. One
of his favorite amusements was shower
ing money among the populace from
the Basilica of Julius Ciesar. He built
galleys of cedar, covered with jjwelry,
and largo enough to contain vines and
fruit trees, and had canals cut for them
along the coast. The stable of his
favorito horso, which he talked of
naming Consul, was of marble, the
trough of ivory, tho harness of purple,
and tho collar of pearls. The set of
emeralds and pearls worn by one of his
wives, Lollia Faulina, was valued at
100,000 sterling.
The principal extravagance of Clau
dius was in public games". Ono of the
shows organized for him was a naval
combat on a lake, in which tho galleys
were manned by 19,000 men. He was
fond of good cheer, and was ia the
habit of inviting himself to the tables
of the rich. He camo on one occasion
with 000 persons in his train.
It was to Nero that Tacitus applied
the expression, incrcdihitium citjiitor.
What he not only desired but achieved
in the way of cruelty and vice would
bo declared incredible if Romon
history had not already shown
what revolting atrocities rnay be
conceived by a diseased imagi
nation and executed by irresponsible
power. After tho Lurning of tho city
ho gratified his taste, in entire disre
gard of the proprietors, in rebuilding
lie at once appropriated a number
of the sites and a Largo roition of
tho public
now palace,
their ranks
grounds for his
Tho porticos, with
of columns, wero
The vestibulo was largo
milo long.
enough to contain the colossal statue of
him, iu silver and gold, 120 feet high,
from which tho colosseum got its
name. The interior waa gilded through
out, andalorncd with ivory and mother-of-pearl.
Tho coiling3 of the dining
rooms were formed of movable tablets
of ivory, which shed floweis and per
fumes on the company ; the principal
saloon had a dome which, turning day
and night, imitated tho movements of
tho terrestrial bodies. When this palace
was finished he exclaimed : " At last I
am lodged like a roan." His diadem
was valued at half a million. Ilia
dresses, which he never wore twice,
wero stiff with embroidery and gold.
Ho fished with purple lines and books
of gold, ilonever traveled with less than
a thousand carriages. The uiulers were
shod with silver, the muleteers clothed
with the finest wool, and the attendants
wore bracelets and necklaces of cold.
Five hundred she-asses followed his
wifo Poppioa in her progresses, to sup
ply milk for her bath. Ho was fond
of figuring in tho circus as a charioteer
and in the theater as a emprer and actor.
He prided himself on being an artist.
and when his possible deposition was
hinted to him ho said that artists could
never be in want. There was not a
vice to which he was not given, nor
crime which he did not commit. Yet
the world, exclaim? Suetoniojs, en-1
dured this monster for fourteen years;
and he was popular with the multitude,
wno wero aazzica by his magnificence
and mistook his senseless profusion for
iiDeranty. un the anniversary of his
death, during many years, they crowd
ed to cover his tomb with flowers.
The utmost excess in eluttonv was
reached by Vitellus, who gave feasts at
which 2,000 fishes and 7,000 birds were
served up. lie prided himself on his
culinary genius, and laid every quarter
of the empire under contribution to
supply materials for a dish, which con
tained livers of mullet, brains of pheas
ants and peacocks, tongues of flamin
goes, roo of lampreys, etc. Tacitus
states that he spent what would be tan
tamount to several millions sterling in
lees than eight months in eating or giv
ing to eat London Quarterly Etview.
The Jeannelte Party.
It is announced from Sc. Petersburg
that there is little chance of receiving
further news from the Jeannette party
inside of some weeks. The exact
whereabouts of De Long and his party
is not known, and the relief expedition
must travel 1,400 miles in wintry
weather before it reaches the region
where Nendemann left them, over a
country which has no roads. But the
assurance is given that the Yakuts, into
whose hands they are supposed to have
fallen, are a good-natured, hospitable
trioe 01 natives, skilled in caring for
uuviugn vauseu py we oold.
FORTY-SEVEXTII C0-NUUESS.
Senate.
On tho opening of the Donate after tbo holi"
dny recess tho Senators were called to order by
tho picsidont pro tempore, Mr. Davis, after
which a number of bills were introduced,
among them being tho following: By Mr. An
thonv, to promote the efficiency of the navy;
by Sir. Maxcy, to inorcaso the cfliciency of the
signal servico of tho Army.... The morning
hour was mainly occupied in the presentation
of petitions of which a largo number prayed
for the exerciso of government control over
rail transports tion charges. Jtr. Millor pre
sented one urging that tho proceedings of Con
gress bo printed in newspaper form wcoMv,
aud a copy thereof supplied free to every family
in the United States. ...Mr. Garland intro
duced a joint resolution to rcappropriato tue
amount (375,0OO) appropriated by the act of
March, 1877, to pay hi full to certain Southern
mail contractors the amounts due nnder their
contracts for the years 1859, 1800 and 1801.
The resolution offered by Mr. Davis, of West
Virginia, relating to pension frauds, calling
tr statements of their nature and character,
wi.it Bruount of arrears lias been paid, etc.,
came np on tho calendar. Considerable discus
sion ensued upon an amendment offered by
Mr. Edmunds, striking out tho direction to the
secretary of tho interior to report his opinion
upon such legislation as he thought advisable.
Air. Davis in tue course 01 tne uuDuto saiu tuai
the secretary had estimated that $100,000,000
would be required for ttiis yoar to pay the pen
sion roll, and this CBtimato, he learned, had
been increasod by tho commissioner to $120,
000,000. He (Mr. Davis) had stated last year
that the arrears of peneions bill would cost tho
government a sum greater than tho national
debt, and H10 ttatement was laughed at. l'res
ent indications sccmod to justify tho statement
ho then made. Mr. Logan, replying to Mr.
Davis, said that statements not oa'sod on accu
rate informatian should not bo allowed to go
to the country uncontradicted. The assertion
that tho pension arrearages would cost more
than the national debt was certainly not based
upon any icliablo basis. The report of the
commissioner showed that with a curtain force
at his command tho arrears of pensious could
be paid in two years, and that alter those wore
paid tho roll would be reduced to forty, or not
over lifty, millions.
iloune.
Tho session of tho IIouso alter the holiday
recess reopened with a novel incident of a
sensational character. Mr. Ortli (lU'pnbhcan,
of Indiana) rose to a question of privilege, and
reading from a manuscript made a protest
against his committee assignments as an in
justice to himself and his constituents. Tho
members listened attentively, nn-i Mr. Springer
was on his feet to enlarge upon tho themo, but
was stopped by Mr. Kobueon, who called
promptly for the regular order. Mr. Springer
said ho should, therefore, take another
occasion to bring up this subject, Mr.
Orth asked to be excused from serving
on tho committee on rules, 01 which
the speaker is chairman. His request was
granted by Speaker Kcil'er, who said that ho
did not consider it necessary to vindicate him
self by saying anything iu reply to Mr. Orth.
....Tho following bills wero introduced and
referred: By Mr. Hawk, to rcorganizo tho
militia; also to require manufacturers of olo
margariuo to label the same. By Mr. Gibson,
to hmend tho rules as to the committee on
Mississippi levees. ...Mr. Hewitt offered
a resolution reciting the fact that
the khedivo of Egypt bad preseutod
to the United States tho obolisk known as
"Cleopatra's Needle," ami tending to his high
noes, the khedive, the thanks of tho people ot
the ":ated States for a gift which only
tho oldest of nations oould inako and tho
youngest could most highly prize. . Adopted.
A Tramp's Philosophy.
In the hip pocket of an old vagrant
pulled in by the police f other night
was a memorandum book 1 .-.11 of his own
writing with pencil, and tome of his
philosophy is good er'jngh to bo pre
served. His first poru.maiih reads:
' Drinking bad vhii-1 y because it is
ofl'ered free is like gettinj in tho way of
Imhets purchased by an eneray.
A second reads:
" Honesty is tho best policy, but
somo folas are satisncd with second
best. It is hard to be honest on an
empty stomach."
" A dry plank under a rain-proof shed
is better than a feather bid in jail, and
one isn't annoyed by the jailer bringing
in a sqraro brenkfust."
A fourth says:
"Pay as yon go. If you haven't any
thing to pay with dr.t.'t go. If you are
forced to go record 1 ry indebtedness
and let your heirs eeitie bills."
The fifth explains:
"We should have charily for all.
When the winter winds blow cold and
drear wo vags should pity the poor fel
lows in India who aro basing red hot
weather."
A sixth is recorded:
" Politeness costs nothing, but it is
not expected that you will wake a man
np at midnight to ask permission to go
through his hen-house. It is more
courteous to let him enjoy his needed
repose."
Tho seventh and last was noted down
as follows:
" When you pick up an apple core do
not find fault because it is not the applo
itself, but be satisfied with tho grade
of descent. Do not be ashamed of
your occupation. We cannot all bo
lords, nor can we all be vagrants. As
I cann t bo a lord I should not lament
at being a vagrant. I3e truthful ard
outspoken that is, tell 'em you are a
Chicago fire sufferer. Ktep seasonable
hours or some other vags will get your
piauKnrst. no nopeiul, cheerful and
good-natured. Growling won't cure a
sore heel."
A Mexican Salutation.
Mary Hal lock Foote, in "A Provin
cial Capital of Mexico,' in the Century,
says: As the white mules pace sedately
down the roughly paved streets the
ladies keep a hand ready to niako the
customary signal of greeting from the
carriage windows to their friends at the
windows and balconies of the street. It
is an indescribably fascinating gesture
so swift and subtle, almost like a
fleeting expression across the iace. It
is made by a qniok flutter of the tocond
ringer, the hand being raised, palm in
ward, to a level with the eyes. How
much its charm is enhanced by the
beauty of those dark Southern eyes it
half conceals it would take a very stolid
observer to decide. It seemed to me
excessively intimate; in Morelia, I be
lieve, it is kept for one's friends only,
but in the capital it is the usual greet
ing at a distance between acquaint
ances. 1 have seen nothing prettier in
their social cn stoma, except the way
the ladiea meet and lean their cheeks
together, and pat each other softly on
the back of the shoulder.
Governor Crittenden, of Missouri,
emplovs eonviot labor in his household, .
a number of men and women being de
tailed from the penitentiary for this
srvioe.