1
ii
BY S. X BOW.
CLEAEFIELD, PA., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1864.
VOL. U.-NO. 2.
i5 ;
THE BABY'S DEATH.
Told d -n its little baby hands
This was hope you had of old ;
Tillet the brow with rosy bands.
And kiss its locks of shining gold.
Somewhere within the reach t( years
Another hope may come like this:
But this poor babe is gone in tears,
With thin white lips, cold to thy kiss.
tntumipera little heap of flowers,
In winter a little drift of snow,
And this is all, through all the.hours,
Of the promises perished long ago.
Po every heart has one dear grave.
Close hidden under its joys uudeaie
Till o'er it gust of memory wave.
And leave the little heaMslone bare.
HOW OUR SOLdIiES SHALL VOTE.
The following is the act recently parsed by
our Legislature, regulating the mode of elec
tions Iy soldiers in act.tal military service :
Section 1. lie it enacted by the Senate
and llvwe of kvpresentatives of the t'om
VKM'iitulth of l'ennnylcunia in General As
xciubhj met, and it is hereby enacted by the
authority of the wmc, Thit whenever any
o;' the qualified electors of this Common
wealth shall be in any actual military service
under a requisition from the Preside t of
tr-.e United States, or by the authority ot
this Commonwealth, and as such absent
from their place of residence on the days ap
pointed by Jaw for holding the general or
presidential elections within this State, or
on the days for holding special elections to
tiil vacancies, such electors shall be entitled
at such times to exercise the right of suf
frage as fully as if they were present at their
projer places of elections, in the manner
iiereinatter prescribed, and whether at the
tune of vutiinr such electors shall be within
the limits of this State or not, and the right
of voting shall not be affected in any man
ner by the fact of the voter having been
credited to any other locality than the place
nt his actual residence by reason of the pay
men! to him of local bounty by such other
locality.
Stc. 2. A poll shall be opened in each
cou.p.iny, composed in whole or in part of
jViiiiylvania soldiers, at the quarter? of the
captain or other officer thereof, and all elec
tors belonging to such company who shall tc
within one mile of such quarters on the day
of election, and not prevented by orders of
their commanders or proximity of the ene
my from returning to their company quar
ters, shall vote at sueii poll and at no other
place. Officers other than those of a com
pany and other voters detached and absent
from their companies, or in any military or
naval 1 ospital, or in any vessel or navy yard,
may vote at such other polls as may be most
coiienient lor them, and when there shall
be ten or more voters at any place who shall
i e unable to attend any company poll, or
tiieir proper place of election as aforesaid.,
tlie electors present may open a poll at such
i 'k;i-'.' as they may select, and certify in the
j.oii-bt'ok, which shall be a record of the
proceedings at said election substantially in
manner and l'orui as hereinafter directed.
kc. 3. The polls shall be opened not eir
iier titan .-even o'clock A. M. on said day,
an 1 remain open at least three hours, and it
necessary, in the opinion of the judges of
i he election in order to receive the votes of
the electors, they may keep the polls open
until seven o clock m the afternoon ot said
day. Proclamation thereof shall be made
at or before the opening of the polls and one
hour before closing them.
She. 4. Before opening the poll on the
day uf election, the electors present at each
til the places aforesaid sha 1 elect viva voce
three persons present at the time, and hav
ing the qiialificatio "s of electors, for the
judges of .said election, and the judges so
elected shall then appoint two of the per
sons present who shall be qualified to act as
tkiksof said election, and the judges shall
prepare boxes or other suitable receptacles
lor the ballots.
kc. 5. Before anj' votes shall be re
wived said judges and clerks shall each take
an oath or affirmation that he will perform
the duties of judge or clerk (as the case may
l ei of said election according to law, and to
tlie l-est of his abilities, and that he will
studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit
or ahu.-e "in conducting the same, which oath
or affirmation any of the said judges or
clerks .so elected or appointed may adminis
ter to each other, and the same shall be in
writing, or partly written and partly print
ed, ami signed by said judges and clerks,
und certified to by the party administering
the same, and attached to or entered upon
tlie poll-book and there signed and certified
as a!ores;iid.
i'.. All elections shall be by ballot,
and the hmVes of elections may, and upon
(italicize of any voter shall examine under
"atli or affirmation the aiiDUcatit to vote,
1 which oath or affirmation any of said judg
es may administer,) in respect to his right
t 'vote, and his qualifications to vote in the
I'Wicular ward, precinct, city, oorougn,
''"wiiship or county of this State, in which
se claims residence, and before receiving
J!1 vote the judges, or a majority oi mem,
-hall be satisfied that such applicant to vote
ls a lawful voter of such nlaee.
T. Generate poll-books shall be kept
nd separate returns made for the voters of
wit city or county; the poll-books shall
3'iie the company and regimeul, and the
v'-z, post or hospital m which sucli eiec
Fn is held: the county and township, city,
''W'jusrh, ward, precinct or election district
f,F each votei shall be endorsed opposite his
aiue on the poll-books; each clerk shall
kponeof said poll-books so that there
i' be a double list of voters.
?EC S, Each ticket shall have written or
I.nutoJ or partly written and partly printed
hereon the names of all the officers which
k' Jiroperlv be voted for at said election
"r ' winch the s.-iid fdentor desires to vote.
. .c. 9. That the judges to whom any
'""t shall bo delivered shall upon the re
ceipt thereof pronounce wjth an audable
voice the name of the elector and if no ob
jection is made to him, and the judges are
satisfied that said elector is a citizen of the
United Suites, and legally entitled .according
to the Constitution and laws of this State to
vote at said election, he shall immediately
put said ticket in the box or other recepta
cle therefor without inspecting the names of
persons voted for, and the clerks shall enter
the name of the elector on the poll-book of
his county and number, ward, precinct, city,
borough or township and county ot his resi
dence substantially in pursuance of the form
hereinafter given.
Sec. 1U. At the close of the polls the
number of voters shad be counted and set
down at the foot ot the list of voters and cer
tified and signed by the judges and attested
by the clerks.
Sec. 11. After the poll-books are signed,
the ballot-box shall be opened and the tiek
e s therein contained shad be taken out one
at a time by one of the judges, who shall
read distinctly while the ticket remains in
his hand the name or names therein con
tained for the several officers voted for, and
then deliver it to the second judge who shall
examine the same and. pass it to the third
judge, who shall string the vote tor each
county upon a sepaiate thread and carefully
C reserve the same ; the same method shall
e pursued as to each ticket takeu out until
all the votes are counted.
Skc. 12. Whenever two or more tickets
shall be found deceitfully folded or rolled to
gether neither of such tickets shall b ' coun
ted, and if a ticket shall contain more than
the proper number of names for the same
office it shall be considered fraudulent as to
all of the names designated for that office,
but no further.
Skc. 13. As a cl eck in counting each
clerk shall keep a tally list for each county
from which votes shall have been received,
which tally list shall constitute a part of the
poll-book. '
Sec. 14. After the examination of the
tickets shall be completed the number of
votes tor each person in the county poll
books as aforesaid shall be enumerated un
der the inspection of the judges, and jset
down as hereinafter provided in the foruIof
the poll-book. ..
Sec. 15. The following shall be substan
tially the form of the poll-books to be kept
by the judges and clerks of the election fill
ing in the blanks carefully : j
"Poll-book of the election held on the see- j
ond Tuesday of October one thousand eight
hundred and (or other election day as the
ease may be) by the qualified electors of
county (or city) State of Pennsylvania in
company of the regiment of Pennsyl
vania volunteers (or as the case may be)
held at (naming the place post or hospital)
A. li.. C. !., and E. F. being duly elected
as judges of said election, were severally
sworn or affirmed as per certificates here
with returned.
Number and names of the electors voting
and their county, city, borough, township,
ward or precinct of residence
No. 1 A. 15., county of , town'p of .
No. 2 C. 1)., county of, town'p of .
A. 15. ,
C. ).,
K T . ,
J udges of Election.
Attest : J. K., .
L. ., Clerks.
Form of certificate of oath of judges and
clerks :
We, A. 15., C. I)., andE. F., judges ot
l lilO V - I I. II -.A V - - - 7
thereof, do each severally swear (or affirm)
that we will duly perforin the duties of judg
es and clerks of said election, severally ae
tinir as above set forth, according to law and
. . rt ..... l.t. -II
to the best ot our abilities, anu tnat we win
KMidioii-dv- endeavor to nrevent fraud, deceit
or abuse in conducting the same.
A. Ji.,
C. .,
E. F. Judges.
J. K.,
L. M. Clerks. . ,
flfv tlmf f! I).. V.. lv. iudces.
I llt.H 1 V, V . v . j . 1 J , C7- '
.1 Iv ;iiw L M.. clerks, were before
uroceeding to take any votes at said election
first duly sworn or amrmeu as aioresaiu.
Witness my hand this day of Anuo
Domini one thousand eight hundred and .
A. Judge ot election.
I certify that A. B., judge aforesaid was
also sworn (or affirmed) by me. Witness
my hand the date before written.
J. K. Clerk of Flection.
Skc. 10. A return in writing shall lie
made in each poll-book setting forth in words
at length the whole number of ballots cast
for each officer, (except those rejected, ) the
name of each person voted for, and the num
ber of votes given to ea;h person for each
different office, which return shall be certi
fied as correct, signed by the judges and at
tested by the clerks ; such return shall be
substantially as tollows :
At an election held by tlie electors of
company , of tie regiment Pennsylva
nia soldiers,-at (naming the place where the
election is held) there were (naming the num
ber in words at length) votes east for
the office of Governor, of which A. B. had
votes; C. I. had votes. For Sena
tor, votes were cast, of which K F. had
votes; G. II. had votes. For Bepre
Kentative, votes were cast, of which J.
K. had votes, L. M. had votes, and
in tlie same manner as to auy other officers
voted for. . ,
At the end of the return the judges shad
certify in substance as follows, giving, if offi
cers, their rank and number of their regi
ment and company ; if pnvates,the number
ot their regiment and company, viz :
A true return of the election held as a-
foresaid, on the day of, Anno
Domini,one thousand eight hundred and
A. B., Capt. Com p. Aone hundred and
thirty first regiment Pa. Vols. .
C. D., Couin. A, one hundred and thirty
first reg't Pai Vols.
E. F. Comp. A, one hundred and thirty
first reg't Fa. Vols.
, Judge of Elections.
Attest, J. K.,
L. M., Clerks.
Sec. 17. After canvassing the votes in
manner aforesaid, the judges shall put in an
envelope one of the poll books, with its tally
list, and return of each city or county, to
gether with the tiukets, and transmit the
same, properly sealed up, and directed
through the nearest post office or by express
as soon as possible thereafter, to the pro
thonotary of the court of common pleas of
of the co :nty in which such electors
would have voted if not in the military ser
vice aforesaid, (being the city or county for
which the poll-book was kept, ) and the oth
er poll book of said city or county enclose
in an envelope, and sealed as aforesaid and
properly directed, shall be delivered to one
of the commissioners hereinafter to be pro
vided for, if such commissioner calls for the
same in ten days, and if not so called for
the same shail be transmitted by mail or ex
press as soon as possible thereafter to the
Secretary of the Commonwealth, who shall
carefully preserve the same, and on demand
of the proper prothonotaiy delivered to said
prothonory under his hand and official seal
a certified copy of the return of votes so
transmitted to and received by him for said
city or county of which the demandant is pro
thonotaiy. Sec. IS. It shall be the duly of the pro
thonotary of the county, to whom such re
turns shall be made, to deliver to the return
judges of the same county a copy, certified
under his hand and seal, of the leturn of
votes, transmitted to him by tlie judges ot
the election as aforesaid, or a- officially cer
tified by the Secretary of the Common
wealth as aforesaid to said prothonotary.
Skc. 1(.. The return judges of the proper
county or counties from which soldiers enti
tled to vote maydte in the service as aforesaid,
shall meet on the second Tuesday of Novem
ber next after the eleetition, and when two
or more counties are connected in the elec
tion, the meeting of the judges from each
county shall be postponed in such case until
the Friday following the said second Tues
day in November.
Sec. 20. The return judges so met shall
include in their enumeration the votes sore
turned, and thereupon shall proceed in all
respects in the like manner as is jirovided
by law in eases w here all the votes shall
have been given at the usual place of elec
tion. Sec. 21. In elections for electors of Presi
dent, and Vice President of the United
States; it shall be the duty of the Secretary
of the Commonwealth to lay before the
Governor all returns received by him from
any election as aforesaid, who shall compare
the same with the county returns, and add
thereto all such returns as shall appear on
such comparison not to be contained in said
county returns, in every case where said
military returns for such counties shall have
bejn received by said Secretary at a period
too late for transmitting them to the prop
er prothonotary, in time for the action of
the judges of the vaid counties.
Sec. 22. All said elections shall be sub
ject to contest in the same manner as is now
provided by law, and in all eases ot contest
ed elections all legal returns which shall
have been bona tide forwarded by said judges
in the manner hereinbefore prescribed,shall
be counted inul estimated, although the
same may not have arrived or been received
by the proper officers to be counted and es
timated in the manner hereinbefore direct
ed before issuing the certificates of election
to the persons appearing to have a majority
of the votes then received, and the said re
turns shall be subject to ail such objections
as other returns are iiahle to when received
in due tiim.
Skc. 23. It shall be the duty of the Sec
retary of the Commonwealth to cause to be
printed a sufficient number of copies of this
act, with such extracts from the general
election law as shall be deemed important
tc accompany the same, and blank tonus of
poll-books, with tally lists and returns as
prescribed in this act, which, with the nec
essary posti-ge stamps to defray expenses
and postage on returns, shall, in sufficient
time before any such election, be forwarded
by said Seci etary at the expense of the Com
monwealth, by commissioners or otherwise,
as shall be deemed most certain to insure
delivery thereof, to the captain or command
ing officer of each company, or in case of
detached voters to the officer having charge
of the post or hospital, who shall retain the
same until the day of election, and then
deliver same to the judges elected as provi
ded in this act ; Provided, That no election
shall be invalidated by reason of the neg
lect or failure of the said secretary to cause
the delivery of said poll-books to the prop
er persons as aforesaid.
Sir. 24. hat tor tlie nurijOse oi more ei-
fectually carrying out the provisions of this ,
act, the Governor shall have power to ap- i
point and commission under the great seal
of the commonwealth such number of com
missioners, having the qualification of an e
lector in this State, as he thall deem neces
sary, not exceeding one to each regimeut of
Pennsylvania volunteers in the service of
this State or of the United States, and shall
apportion the work among the commission
ers, and supply such vacancies as may occur
in their number. Such commissioners be
fore they act shall take and subscribe an oath
or affirmation, and cause the same to be filed
with the Secretary of the State, to the fol
lowing effect : I , appointed com
missioner under the act to regulate elections
by soldiers in actual millitary service, do sol
emnly swear (or affirm) that I will support
the Constitution of the United States and
State of Pennsylvania, and impartially, ful
ly and without reference to political prefer
ences or results, perform to the best of my
knowledge and ability the duties imposed on
me by the said act, and that I will studious
ly endeaver to prevent fraud, deceit and a-
buse, not only in the elections to be held un
der the. same, but in ihe returns thereof.
And if any commissioner appointed by or
under this act shall knowingly violate his
duty or knowingly omit or fail to do his du
ty under this act, or violate any part of his
oath or affirmation, he shall be liable to in
dictment for perjury in the proper county,
and upon conviction shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or
imprisonment iu the penitentiary at labor
not exceeding one year or both iu the discre
tion of the court.
Sec. 25. It shall be duty of such commis
sioners to deliver, as far as practicable, at
least four of the copies of this act, and other
extracts of law published as hereinbefore di
rected, and at least tw o blank forms of poll
books, tally lists and returns entrusted to
them, as mentioned in the twenty-third sec
tion of this act, to the commanding officers
of every company or part of company of
Pennsplvaiiia soldiers in the actual military
or naval service of the United States or of
this State, and to make suitable arrange
ments and provision for the opening of polls
under this act. It shall also be the duty of
said commissioners, as soon as practicable
after the day of election, to call upon the
.Judges of the election and procure one poll
look eontaing the returns of the election,
ainl safely to preserve the same not only
from loss but from alteration, and deliver
the same without delay to the Secretary of
State.
Skc. 2C. Said commssioners shall receive
in full compensation for their services under
this act ten cents per mile in going to and
returning from their respective regiments,
e-tiniating the distance of travel by the u
sually traveled route, and it is hereby made
the duty of the Auditor General and State
Treasurer to audit and pay the accounts
thereof iu the same manner as other claims
are now audited and paid by law. All com
manding and other officers are requested to
to aid the commssioners herein appointed,
and to give them all proper facilities to ena
ble them to carry out the design, and iuten
tention of this act. Said commissioners
shall be deemed to be in actual military service
Uy the authority of this Commonwealth, and
entitled to vote at any one ot the polls to be
opened under the provisions of this act, and
the names of said voters shailbe entered up
on the poll-looks, and the returns thereof
made to the proper county in the manner
hereinbefore directed as to members af com
panies. Sec. 27. No nior . informality in the man
ner of carrying out or executing any of the
provisions of this act shall invalidate any
election held under the same, or authorize
the return thereof to be rejected or set aside,
nor shall any failure on the part of the com
missioners to reach or visit any regiment or
company, or part of company, or the failure
of any company or part of company to vote
invalidate any election which may be held
under this act.
Sec. 2S The several officers authorized to
conduct such election shall have the like
powers and they,-as well as other persons
who may attend, vote, or offer to vote at such
elction, shall be subject to the like penalties
and restrictions as are declared or provided in
the case of elections by the citizens at their
usual places of election, and all the provis
ions of the general election laws of this
State, so far as applicable ami not inconsis
tent with the provisous of this act nor sup-
fdied thereby, shall apply to all elections
ltld under this act.
Sec. 2'lt. No compensation shall be allow
ed to any judge or clerk under this act.
Skc. :;tl. When the sheriff of any city or
county shall issue his proclamation for an
election for a presidential, congressional,
district, city, county, or State election under
the laws of this State, he shall transmit im
mediately copies thereof to the field officers
and senior captains in the service aforesaid
from said city or county.
Sec. 31. The sum of fifteen thousand
dollars, or so much thereof as maybe neses
sary, is hereby appropriated f.om the gen
eral revenue to be paid upon the order of
the Secretary of the Commonwealth to car
ry this law into effect.
Sec. 32. When any of the electors men
tioned in the first section of this act, less
than ten in number, shall be members of
companies of another State or Territory, or
for any sufficient and legal cause shall be
seperated from their proper company, or
shall be in any hospital, or on recruiting,
provost or other duty, whether within or
without this State, undei such circumstan
ces as shall render it probable that he or
they will be unable to rejoin their company
on or before the day of the elections therein
mentioned, said elector or electors shall have
a right to vote in the following manner :
Sec. 33. The voter aforesaid is hereby au
thorized before the day of election to de
posit his ballot or ballots properly folded, as
required by the general election laws of this
State in a sealed envelope, together with a
written, or partly written and partly printed
statement containing the name oi me voter,
the county, township, borough or ward of
which he is a resident and a written or
printed authority to some qualified voter in
the election district of which said voter is
a resident, to cast the ballots contained in
said envelope for him on the day of said e
lection, said statement and authority to be
signed by tbe said voter, and attested by the
commanding or some coiniuissioned officer
of the company of which he is a member,
in the case of a private and of some com
missioned officer of a regiment, in the case
of an officer, if anv such officers are con
veniently accessible, and if otherwise than
by some other witness, and there shall also
accompany said ballots an affidavit of said
voter taken before some one of the officers
aforesaid, and, in the absenceof such offi
cers, before some other person duly author
ized to administer oaths by any law of this
State, that he is a qualified voter in the e
Wrifin .tiefT-ipf in which he proDoses to vote ;
that he is in the actual military service of
the United States or of this State, describ
ing the organization to which he belongs ;
that he has not sent his ballots to any other
person or persons than the one iu such au
thority mentioned ; that he will not offer to
vote at any poll which may be opened on
isaid election day at any place whatsoever,
and that he is not a deserter, and has not
been dishonorably-dismissed from the ser-
vico, and that he is now stationed at
in the State of ; said sealed envelope
containing the ballots, statement, authority
and affidavit as aforesaid to be sent to the
proper person by mail or otherwise, having
written or printed on the outsi .e across the
sealed part thereof the words "soldier's bal
lot' for township (borough Or ward) in
the county of ."
Skc. 34. The elector to whom such ballot
shall be sent shall, on the day of election,
and whilst the polls of the proper district
are open, deliver the envelope so received
unopened to the proper lection officer who
shall open the same in the presence of the
election board and deposit the ballots there
in contained, together with the envelope and
accompanying papers as other ballots are
deposited, and said board shall count and
canvass the same in the same manner as
other votes cast at said election, and the
per.-on delivering the same shall be compel
led bv the el.ction board to testify on oath
or affirmation that the envelope so delivered 1
by him is in the same state as when received
by him. and that the same bus not been
opened or the contents thereof changed or
altered iu auy way by him or any other per
son, and unless such oath or affirmation be
made the vote shall be rejected.
Sec. 3o. The light of any person thus of
fering to vote at any such election may be
challenged for the same causes that it could
be challenged if he personally present and
for no other reason or cause.
Sec. 36: airy officer of any general or spe-
cial election in this State who shall refuse to
receive ariy such envelope and deposit such
ballots or to count and canvass the same ex
cepting in cases mentioned in the last sec
tion, and any elector who shall receive such
envelope and neglect or refuse to present the
same to the officers of the election district
endorsed on the said envelope, shall be guil
ty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction there
of shall be punished by imprisonment in the
State prison not exceeding one year and by
fine net exceeding five hundred dollars, or
either or both in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 37. Any person who shall willfully
and corruptly make and subscribe any false
affidavit or make any false oath or affirma
tion touching any matter or thing provided
in this act shall be guilty of wilful and cor
rupt perjury, and upon conviction thereof
shall be punished by imprisonment in the
State prison not exceeding five years and by
fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or
by either or both in the discretion of the
court.
Sr.c 38. That it shall be the duty of the
Secretary of State to prepare the r.ecessary
blank forms to carry out the provisions of
this act and to furnish the same tor the use
of the persons so engaged in the military or
naval service aforesaid.
Skc. 3'). In the case of a person in the na
vy of the United States engaged in the mil
itary service thereof, the statements and affi
davits in this act mentioned may be witness
ed by and made before any officer of the ves
sel iu which said voter is for the time being
engaged.
Sec. 40. It shall be the duty of every as
sessor within this Commonwealth annualb
to assess and return in the manner now re
quired by law a county tax of ten cents up
on each and every non-commissioned officer
and private, and the usual taxes upon every
commissioned officer known by them to be
iu the military sen ice of the United States
or ot this Sta'te, in the army or navy there
of, and when any omission shall occur, the
omitted names shall be added by such as
sessors to the assessments and lists of voters
on the application of any citizen of the elec
tion district or precinct wherein such soldier
might or would have a right to vote if not
in such service as aforesaid, and such non
commissioned officers and privates ehall be
exempt from all other personal taxes du
ring their continuance in such service ; and
said assessors shall in each and every case of
such assessed soldiers or officers, without
fee or reward therefor, give a certificate of
such regular or additional assessment to any
citizen of the election district or precinct
who may at any time demand the same, aud
upon the presentation thereof to the tax col
lector of said district or the treasurer of the
said county, it shall be the duty of such of
ficer to receive said assessed tax of and from
any person offering to pay the same for the
soldier or officer therein named, and to en
dorse upon such certificate a receipt there
for; and it shall also be the duty of said
collector or county treasurer to receive said
assessed tax troni any person who may offer
to pay the same for any of said soldiers or
officers w ithout requiring a certificate of as
sessment when the names of such persons
shall have been duly entered upon the as
sessment books and tax duplicates by the
proper officers, and give a receipt therefor
to such persoti, specially stating therein the
name of the soldier or officer w hose tax is
thus paid, the year for which it was assess
ed, and the date of the payment thereof,
w hich said certificate and receipt, or receipt
only sfcall be prima JuAsie eviaenee to any
election board provided for by this act be
fore which the same may be offered of tho
due assessments! said tax against and the
payment thereof by the soldier or officer
therein named, offering the same as afore
said ; buc S'iid election board shall not be
thereby precluded from requiring other
proof of the right "to vote, as specified by
this act or the general election laws of this
Commonwealth, and if any of said assess
ors, collectors or treasurers shall neglect or
refuse to comply with the provisions of this
wction. or to nerforni anv of the duties
therein enioined uron them or cither of
them, he or they so offending shall be con
sidered and adjudged guilty of a misde
meanor in office, and shall on conviction be
fiued in any sum not less than tweuty. nor
more than two hundred dollars.
The Great Mystery. The body is to
die ; so much is certain. .What lies beyond ?
No one w ho passes the charmed boundry
comes back to tell. The imagination visits
tlie realms of shadows, sent out from the
windows in the soul over life's restless wa
ters, but wins its way wearily back, with an
olive leaf in its beak as a token of emerging
life beyond the closely bending horizon.
The great sun comu4 and gies in the lleav
en,yet breaths no secret ethereal wilderness ;
the" crescent moon cleaves her mighty pas
sage across the uper deep, but tosses over
board no message, and displays no signals.
The sentinental stars challenge each other
as they walk their nightly rounds, but we
catch no syllable of their countersign which
gives passage to the Heavenly camp. Be
tween this and the other fife is a great gulf
fixed, across which neither eye nor foot can
travel. The gentle friend, whose eyes we
closed in their last sleetnlong years, died
with rapture in her wonder-stricken eyes, a
smile of ineffible joy upon her lips, and
hands folded over a triumphant heart, but
her lips were past speech, and intimated
nothing ot the vision that enl hxallea her.
Every woman should be married to an ex
cellent man. Marriage, it is true, brings
care and w ear ; but it is the ring that is
worn that keeps bright, and the watch that
lies unwound that gets out of order. Th
sweet sympathies involved in the family re
lation ;the new energies developed by new
responsibilities; the new compensation for
all outlays of strength, bring about a de
lightful play upon the heart and intellect,
which, in their reaction upon the body, pro
duces and effect that is nothing less than
preservation. Then there is a higher pow
er than this one which we speak of soberly
and reverently. No one is completely arm
ed against the encroaching ills of life who
has in his heart no place for religion. The
calmness, thepatience,and the joy and hope
tint are in possession of that woman whose
heart is right in its highest relation, can
never fail to preserve and heighten every
personal power and charm that she possesses.
The Selfish. The worst of it is with
selfish persons, they never know they are
seifish. This is the most incurable systoua
in their cast if they yield a little toothers
they have no idea but that they cover the
whole ground. They do not know how of
ten they trample upon the rights and privi
leges of those about them, becuuse they nev
er think of them ; and not to think of oth
ers, which is sometimes made an excuse by
the selfish, is the very essence of all selfish
ness. They do not know they expose them
selves by the very refuge behind which they
attempt to hide. Another distinguishing
feature of selfish persons is, that they ac
cept of the sacrificcsof others w ithout know
ing that any have been made, for them, so
completely ate they absorbed by self. By
these marks ye may know them.
Severe on the Girls. An exchange
says : The number of idle, useless pirls in
all our large cities seems to be steadily in
creasing. They lounge or sleep in the moru-
iiuru ri i-TnL-. ta etrfutQ rhirinir f.hp affpr-
noon, and assemble in frivolous companies
r 1.1
ot their own ana otner sex to pass away
the evenings. What a store of unhappiness
for themselves and others are they laying up
for the coming time, when real duties and
high responsibilities shall ho. thoughtlessly
assumed ! They are skilled in no domestic
duties nay, they despise them ; have no
habits of industry nor taste for the useful.
What will they be as wives and mothers?
Alas for the husbands and children, and alas
fnr ilietnveli-ptt . Who i-im ivfindpr if flnmps.
tic unhappiness and domestic ruin lollow.
Save up Something. It unfortunately
happens that as no man lelieves he is likely
to die soon, every ne is much disposed to
defer the consideration of what ought to be
done at once. The determination to lay by
often creates the power to lay by, and the
first effort is themost difficult. Let it al
ways be remembered that in putting by
something for a rainy day, a man purchases
a certain amount of mental tranquility, and
thus he may actually extend his life by pro
viding against the result of his death.
Home. The road to home happiness lies
over small stepping-stones. Slight circum
stances are the stumbling-blocks of families
the prick of a pin, fays the proverb, is
enough to make the empire insipid. The
tenderer the feelings the more painful the
wound. A cold, -unkind word checks and
withers the blossom of the dearest love, as
the most delicate rings of the vine are troub
led by the faintest breeze. The misery of
a life is born of a chance observation. If
the true history of quarrels, public, or pri
vate, were honestly written, it would be si
lenced with an uproar of derision.
A Fable with a Moral, Once upon a
t ine a Southern preacher said to his slave:
"Peter, how did you like my sermon this
morning?" "Ah, massa, berry much!
You look jes like a lion. " "Lion, Peter?
Why, you never saw a lion." . "Oh, yes,
massa I seed him. Tom rode him down to
water, by here, ebery day." "Why, Pe
ter, that is a jackass, aml not a lion."
"Well, massa, I can't help It. Dat's jest
de way yon look."
"John," said a doting parent to her gor
mandized 6on, "do you really think you can
eat the whole of that pudding with impu
nity?" "I don't know ma. replied the
young glutton, "but I can with a epoon." .
A wag arose . from his bed on the 31st of
August, and exclaimed: "This is the hut
rose of summer 1"
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