VOLUME 3. Select foctry. In a doth * tell tale appear Tl»ul upenk* to the eye. quit* a* plain At lang-a«e itself ran convoy to the ear, Somete«d*r ce>»r«-H#l«>n of plea«JM or pain; What thought! we should never TOpart, \\ hat secrets we should never *f »k, If the fountain of truth In the heait Did not lite in a bluih to the cheek. AM the bloMom of epring "n the bough I* promise of fruit* yet un«een, So the color that mantle* thy beauty Jn-t now May he but prophetic of hope* hut yet green. How vnia in each delicate ait Of concealment, when J.ature would speak, And the fountain of truth in the heart Witt ati-c in a blurb t<- the cheek I Select Jtovy. MY SISTER. I wish it was in my power to describe her as she really was : but the best I can do would prove only a poor apology, for, to my mind, no one I ever saw was half as beautiful as .our darling She was no tall stately brunette, who drew crowds of admiring suitors to her side ; but she won the love of every one who know her, and there was a magic power inner laughing blue eyes to bewitch eve"»thc gravest philosopher. Her hair *Js of a rich, beautiful auburn, changing to waves of gold in the sunlight! her checks wore a bloom as rich as the brightest rise, while her teeth were pure and white as pearls. She was a slight creature, and you might have taken her for a child but for a cer'ain air which alone bespeaks the woman. Listen to her voice sc sweet and musical, heir her wild laugh ringing out loud and clear on the morning air. There is a graceffll unrest in every movement, first you might find her having a frolic with her pet dog, the next moment she would I*! in the kitelien deeply enguged in the mysteries of cooking, perhaps af ter that she might be playing a brilliant chorus and, almost before you could re alize it, the music would change to a low mournful strain, awaking buried hopes and dreams. Silic was never contented with anything more than :i minute at i> tiuie, and yon iiiight search her room only to find an endless variety of work put away unfin ished. Such whs my sinter Maud t age of eighteen, and I know you do not Vonder that ;ny father loved her better than any one else on earth. She was his ' pet," his "blossom," his "pearl," his * sunbeam," yes, I think I may safely say his "idol." Neither time nor money Vete snared to make her happy, lor she alone bore any resemblance to our angel mother. Not that my father did not love ,my brother and me. Oh, no, for he was ever kind and gentle; but wo were too tear like him to bo worshipped as was my sister. My brother had been travelling for two years, ami now he was enming home, how .soon wc did not know, until at last I re ceived a few lines from biw stating he would arrive on the 25th, and should bring a friend with him whom he hoped would bo welcomed cordially. It wanted but a day of the appointed t'.me, and I hurried about to uiake the necessary preparations. trying, however, to secui as little occupied as possible, hoping to keep my sister iu ignorance.— While arranging the window dra|>ery in the room prepared for the stranger, I chanced to sec a carriage drive up before the door; butdid not think of uiy broth er. Just as I ctarted togo down stairs I heard a well-known voice exclaim . " Fred, dear brother, home once more ! How glad lam to see you ! What a joy ful surprise," and after a load embrace stopped to catch her breath. Leading her forward o\f brother pre sented her to his friend, saying,— «My youngest sister, Mr. Hennet.— Chailes, this is M.tud, of whom I have told you so often." The stranger stepped forward, and tak ing her hand, bjwed gracefully, while she, with all her usual politeness, bade him welcome to our htuie. Standing in the door unnoticed, I had ample time to Btudy his countenance.— lie surpassed my expectations, for never in my life had I seen one who bore such a type of the perfect gentleman. He wag rather above medium with dark hair, eyes as piercing as the cable's, a broad, white forehead and a daheavy mustache, which served to make k fixed expression of the mouth seem only the sterner Accidentally turning my brother .8- pied me, and in a moment fflofi I was clasped in his arms receiving and return ing his loud cares-es It needed no words to tell me he was glad to home again, or that he loved uie as of old, warm affection; as he presented me to his friend I read in his eye a look of satistie pride as he said,— ." My sister, Isabel, Mr. IJeum t. She is mistress of my father's bouse, here, Charlie, and also a uiother lift to AMERICAN CITIZEN. sunbeam at your side, so I know you will excuse her quiet manners. I hope .Maud will be able to tike care of herself and the house, too. before many years, for Is abel needs rest; this constant care does not suit her temperament." I did not feel very much flattered by such a remark, as it gave evidence that my brother thought I was growing old; btit laughing at his compliments led the way to the parlor, where, after a few mo meuts' conversation, we separated, the gentlemen going to their rooms and I to the kitchen. Here I had time to think for a minute; and came to the conclusion that the st.nn ger was just what was'needed to give our house a look like being inhabited. My reveries, however, were speedily inter rupted by Maud, with h£r inquiry of how I liked Mr. Bennet, if I didn't think lie was splendid. " Yes, Isa," said she, " I like his looks, he seems to be a perfect gentleman ; and, if George don't stop flirting, I II just sec if somoboJy else wont be jealous too." " But, Maud, you murt not sacrifice your principles ol right and wrong just to gratify a caprice of your mind. If George Sumner does flirt, .f going West to visit my sister aud of taking Maud with me. I think we bad better start at onee. You will please have her in readiness as suon as possible. When your sisU-r returns send her to the library," and so say in/ h« left the ro&b. "Let us have Faith that Right makes Might ( and in that Faith let us, to the end, dare to do our My as we understand it"— A. LINCOLN. BUTLER. BUTLEk COUNTY, l'A., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 18C6. When my lather told Maud of his im she seemed delighted; ond ap peared impatient Wbe off. She laugh ingly said as she was entering the car riage,— " I leave a tear and a kiss for each one of you," and fluttered her handkerchief from the window as long as she could see us standing on the pixta. Fred accom panied them to the city, and I was left alone with Mr. Bennet for the first time. I strove to make the day pass pleasantly, but it seemed to me like a weary task, for my spirit" weie depressed at the depart ure of my father and sis cr. We spent the morning at my cousin's, returning homo in time for luncheon. — After this we repaired to the parlcr, where we conversed for a long timo, and finally I consented to play for him. I prefer red old pieces to new, and so selected them, finally concluding with " Sweet Home." After finishing I turned to sec if ho was satisfied, only to find him rest ing his head on his hand apparently ab sorbed in meditation. At length he walked towards me, saying as he came, — " Sweet, sweet home, this is indeed one a happier one than I had dared lately dream of. Miss Ashley,you are blest in deed, possessing, as you do, such a sweet resting place. I have neither father, mother, brother nor sister in this wide world, no place dear to me for the sweet faces, the associations found there, where after my long wanderings I can turn to 6nd contentment and rest. lam alone in this cold world; but it is only when list ening to such music, or beholding a hap py family group, that these bitter tho'ts haunt me. Your song carried mc back to days when a sweet, blue eyod being, something like your Maud, twined her fond arms about me, calling me 'Brother;' when a loving toother taught mc to follow the right path, and an indulgent father laid his hand an my head, praying Qod would bless his boy. 'J'hey arc all gone now ; one by eue they drooped and faded away, fiist my pareuts, then she, my idol, the treasure to which I clung so fondly, my sweet, angd s(.»ter Allie. Forgive my sad musings. I know I must have wea ried you; but all the old joys and sor rows earne back so forcibly I gate myself up to a train of reflections. May you never know what it is to be left alone as 1 have been." His heart felt sorrow awoke a slumber ing chord of sympathy in my heart, and I could but recall my mother to mir.d.— Sure I had my father, brother and sister left me ; but still there was a void which nothiug but a mothers' love could fill, and 1 could only sigh to think of his des olation. From this hour we were the best of friends. At night, when it came time for the train to ariive from the city, he invited me to accompany him to meet my brother, which I accepted. While riding home Mr. Bennet happeucd toad dress mc as Miss Ashley, when my broth er inquired if he had not yet given mc my proper name. I replied,— " It is by my own request that he calls ■ue so, giving an old maid her title." "Not an old maid yet, Isa; yon are scarcely twenty-two, while I, so nearly thirty, feel quite as young as Maiid at eighteen. The care you have takeii upon yourself makes you feel older, but now our blossom is away you will soon be young again." "Well, perhaps I'm not so very old after all; but [ really feel as if Maud was my child, she is to childish and re quires so much attention. Now she is gone 1 shall be quited rested and per haps more like myself." " Well, then, change your title if you wish to be young, and don't let Charlie call you Miss Ashley any more." " Perhaps he will not accept the chaffge; lul if he is willing to call me Isa in future I shall be pleased to ac knowledge the honor," I replied. " Gladly, gladly. I could not wish for a greater pleasure than to forego all such formalities ; but you in turn must forget Mr. Bennet. I'd rather be less the gen tleman, and more the boy. Call me Charlie, hereafter p'ease," he Raid. ****** Five mouths passed away, and during that time they told me I changed to a joyous girl Again, full as merry as Maud had evor been, as Fred expressed it, '-the statue warmed iuto life." Charles Sum ner was still with us, and during that time the warm sympathy we felt for#iie anothef ripened into a warmer and more enduring affection. My brother express ed his gnJtfficatioD at the result, and we but waited the return of lay lather to teal oar happinses. At lust he cams with my sister, and the hou?e seemed full of suu» shine again. The same night Charlie asked permis sion of father to make Isa his wife, which was readily granted, and we both bowed before him when he prou .unond the pa ternal blessing. " To him who has won the love of my child, do I give her. whe has striven to make my lite happy, who, thinking an other to be preferre before her, spare 1 neither time nor pains to make my exist ence one of continual sunshine. Isa. my noble,self-sacrificingdaughter,may Heav en shower unnumbered blessiugs upon you, and upon hiffi whom you have preferred to all others. God bless you both." As he finished speaking, the warm tears which suffused his eyes fell, one by one, on my hand, and until that night 1 never knew how well uiy father loved inc. As we rose and were leaving the room, he requested that Maud miuht be sent to him ; but she came in just in season to hear his remark. For two hours she re mained in the library, and when she came out her face was of deathly pallor; but she strove to appear cheerful. It was in vain, however, and making tlio excuso of s letter to write, she kissed us " good night" and left us alone. I little thought, my darling sii-ter, it would be the last timo 1 should ever re ceive your sweet kiss, or that I had held your hand to my heart for the last time ; but so it was, for the next morning when wo were all assembled at breakfast, as Maud did uot appear, my father sent to her room to see why she did not come down, and the girl brought baok word that she was uot there, that her bed was still made, and a letter was lying on the table. Springing from my scat I ran up stairs to find a note sealed and directed to me. Teariug it open I read, and for many weary weeks knew nothing of passing scenes. The following is a copy from the original which I still retain.— "Sept 19, 185—. "ISA, DARLING:—'T was but a mo ment ago 1 left you, and I have biddeu you"good-by" so many tiuies in a simi lar manner, you thought nothing of it; but, my sifter, it is tbe last time I shall ever press my lips to yours I have heard of your happiness, and may God bless you, for, belore you are his wilt, 1 shall be numbered among tbe dead. You love him te»derly I know; but I gave him all the wild idolatry ol my nature. Ido not blame my father even if he would have choseu Goorjjo for my husbaud; but I did not love liiin, and 1 would not marry where 1 could uot give my heart. "I have loved thfi catnip still waters of the lake, and in them I shall find a sweet resting-place. 1 kuow before this meets your eye, I shall be at rest, so I do not hesitate to teli you where you may Bud all that remains of your sister. "Isa, sweet treasure, my truest friend, farewell until we meet above. Kiss my father lor uie and comfort hiui in his sor row. Give Freddie a loving sister's last embrace, and Charlie—may you both be happy. Father, brother, sister, Charlie, all farewell. "MAUD." They searched the lake as she had said until they foun d her body, and buried it on its shore-, where they raised a marble cross to her ni'Cliiory. Only "Maud" was inscribed there, and yet- that cnc word speaks volumes, telling us of a sweet, childlike being whs darted as quickly as a ray of sunlight across our pathway. My father is bent, and his hair is grey. The death of his idol nearly severed the silver cord of his existence ; but he ral lied after much suffering. He never mentions my sister, and it is only by her letter that we know what his conversa tion wasabout the night before her death After two years I laid aside my mourn ing apparel for one of pure white when I became the wifo of Charlie Bennet. ***** * Ten years ago to-night uiy sister died ; hut to 1110 it comes as vividly as if it were only yesterday. We live in the same hou-e yot, for my father would not leave it, and there is another little Maud skip ping through it who beard some resem blance to our a little Char lie, too. who comes with his childish prat tle for me to see bi» sister. To-uigbt,as I stood at my wiudow overlooking the lake, I seemed to feel an arm steal round me,a kiss imprinted on my forehead,and • sweet voice sayiug, "I am watohing over you, IE», sweet sister." I turned and seemed to see before me the Maud of other days; but I know she is an angel above, and I do longer weep for the de parted. M. JS. L. Henry Ward Beccher has lately been pitching into the pract ce- of woikiqg railroad conductors on Sunday. The o'her day, Mif.. Beecher, in hie peculiar way, was making inquiries of a conduce tor, to whom v be waa a'nknown, as to whether the jutiilay riding could not be broken up. "I think it might be," said the eonduotor, "but tor that confounded fellow lieecher. To many fancy people from all pert* visit his establishment,that it ifiakes the road profitable. Tf he* would only shot up, the thing conld be done." AN ACT, Incrennlng the l'mslnns of Widows nnd Orphan*, and Tor other piirponen. Be it enucted by the Senate and flout? of lie-pretmtntivet of the Chitetl State! of America in V.onyrett attcmbhd, That I the provisions of the pension laws are hereby extended to and made to include provost marshals, deputy provost mar shals, and enrolling officers, who have been killed or wounded in the discharge of their duties; and for the purpose of determining the amount of pension to which such persons and their dejiend -1 ents shall be entitled, provost marshals shall be ranked as captains, deputy pro ' v.ist marshals as first lieutenants, and cn , rolling i (Beers as second lieutenants. SEC. 2. And be it furthe' enacted, | Thai the pensions to widows of deceased' I soldiers and sailors, having children by i such deceased soldiers or sailors, be in creased at the rate of two dollars per ' month for each child c.f such soldier or sailor under the age of sixteen years.— And in all cases in which there shall be more than one child of any deceased soldier or sailor, leaving no rtidow, or where bis widow has died or marriod again, or where she has been deprived of her pension under the provisions of sec tion eleven of an act entitled "An act supplementary to the severul acts rela ting to pensions," approved June sixth, eighteen hundred and sixty six, the pen. sion granied to su-.h children uuder six teen years of age by existing laws shall be increased to the same amount per month that would be allowed under the foregoing provisions to the wiJow if liv ing and entitled to a pension : Provided That iu no case shall more than one pen sion be allowed to the sane person. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted. That the provisions of an acteutit'ed"A act to grant pensions." approved July fourteen, eighteen hundred and sixty two, a?d of the acts supplementary there to and amendatory thereof, are hereby, so far a3 applicable, extended to the pen siouers tin ler p rev ions laws, except re volutionary pensioners. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, If any person, duriug the pendency of his application lor an invalid pension ; and after the completion of the proof showiug hia right thereto, has died, or shall hereafter die, but uot in either case by reason ofa wound received, o r disease contracted iu the Bcrvice of tbe United Slates, and in the line of duty, his wid ow, or iu event of her death or marriage his relatives in the same ordor in which they would have received a pension if they had been thereunto entitled under existing laws, on accottnt of tho services and death in the line of duty of such per sou, shall have the right to demand and receive the "ccrued pension to whioh he would have been entitled had 'he certificate issued before his death.— And in all cases where such person so en titled to an an invalid pension has died, or shall hereafter die under the circuin stances hereinbefore mentioned, whethc r by reason of a wound received or direasc contracted iu the scrvico of the United States, and iu the line of duty, or other wise, without leaving a widow or such relatives, then such accrued pension shall be paid to the executor or administrator of such person in like uiauner and effect as if such pension were so much assets belonging to the estate of the deceased at the time of his death. SEC. 5. And be it Jurthcr enacted, That the repeal by tho act entitled "An act supplementary to the several acts re lating*tu pensions," approved June sixth, eighteen hundred and tiity-six, of parts of certain acts mentioned in the first section ol said act, shall uot work a forfeiture of any right accrued under or granted by such parts of such acts as re pealed; but snch rights shall be recog nized and alloweii in the same manner and to all intents and purposes, as if said act had never passed, except that the in valid pensioner shall be eutitled to draw, from and after the taking effect of said act, tho inoreased pension thereby gran ted, in lieu of that granted by suoh parts of such acts so repeated. SEC. 6. And be it urther enacted, That nothing in the fourth section of an act «ntitled "An act supplementary to the several acts relating to pensions," ap proved March third, eighteen hundred and sixty five, or any Other supplementa ry or afnendatory act relating to pensions shall be so construed as to impair the right of a widow, whose claim for a pen sion Wji* pending at the date of her rq» to the pension to which sHe would otherwise be eutitled. had her de ceased husband left no minor child or children under sixteen years of age. Approved July , 1866. —Ayoubg lady, whose lather is im proving the tamily mausion, insists upou having a beau wiudow put iu tor her ben efit. I-etler from MaJ Jack Downing MFRSRR. FPITOHS : T'M jlst from Washington City. and chuck full of nfrws I called to see tho President and talked to him like a book, for me and him were school boys. I're a liking for Andy.and told him T didn't wan't toseelrm Inst in the fog. Says ho. Major T'll bent you,' and so I put my thumbs In mv jacket, drew myself back in my chair an 3 com. menced. Says I, Andy, far Ood's sake and mine, don't you mskp thosnnie blun der John Tyler did He got a notion in his head to eet nn a policy, ami got qusr reling with nnd thon the Pem oerats patted him on tho back and prom ised to stand by him; nnd know ses t. Aody, they dropped him at tho o d of his torm, jest as a monkey would a hot chestnut. Bes I, Andy, yon know how they used to set up meetings here, sich fellows as Montgomery Blair would blow a horn, then some of tho fellows under him would beat on tin pans and an old drum that must of «tood out in the rain that, when you beat on it it souuded like kicking a foot ball; then they would gath cr up to this very Whito IIOUJO in a great ciowd and old John Tyler would come out, and with one thumb in his jacket jes like mo, and the fore finger of his right hand leaning up against b's long nose, he would say: "Fellow citizens, this immonse assemblage of tho yeoman ry of the country convinces mo that 'My Policy' is right." Then eomo feller would holler out, "Give it to Clay."— Then old John would call Clay a dictator and other hard names, like you called Forney. Ses I, Andy, that was not right for you, a President of these here United .States, reaching from the Atlaniic to the Pacific ocean, to talk about "dead ducks." Sich expressions from mo and you ain't becoming uo how, and I kept denying you ever said it until Seward telegraph ed it was an c:egant speech, 'dend ducks" and all. Now, ses I, Andy don't let them fellows, Montgomery Blair, Tom F ■ and others jiet like their, draW you out to make a fool of yourself again. You keep shady, don't get mad, but try and follow as closely as you can tho track of Old Abe nod you'll bo all right. Ses he, Major don't tho Democrats approve my course? Psha! ses I; Andy are you greca enough not to know what they are after? You kuow, ses I, Audy they nev er get up any moasuro themselves, but always fight everything our party adopts. Why, Andy, ses I, I vclfily believe if Congress would pass a bill to keep tricli ined hogs and cholera from landing on our shore, and you would veto tliu bill, tho Democrats would pat you on the back and cry out, "Good for you, Aody; stick to principloand we'll stand by you" Why, ses T, Andy they would t?ke tho stump for you and pould tell their Dem ocratic friends as how there was no sech thing as trichina in bogs; that it was a Republican falsehood) intended to inter fere with the wholo hog principles of the Democracy. Now, ses I, Andy you must not be foole I by these fellows in this way. There ain't a going to be any sich thing as a new party formed, for the people all say the Union party is good enough for them, and they intend to slick to it.— Ses I, Andy look at Connecticut and New Uampshiie, how they stuck to the Union party against the copperheads.— Depend upon it, this is the feeling all over th« country, and you can't change it. YOG helped to make it yourself when you told them in the Senate you would hang traitor*. Ses I, Andy, if you caught a servant going to burn your house down, would you trust him any longer, even if he would swear he would never do it again ? Breckinridge and Davis swore they would support the Constitution of the United Stater, and all the time they were trying to upset the Union, and of course Andy ses I, you know, if they up set the Union, tho Constitution would be undermost. Now, would you, Andy, ses I, take either .of these fellows into your Cabinet, and if you did, wouldn't you be afeared they would turn our own guns upon you, or steal all the money from the Treasury, and start another re bellion ? If so, why do you quarrel with Gongress for not taking such vile rebel? like them into fellowship to make laws for us ? Wouldn't you say, sos I, Andy, that a fellow tbat would try to take the life of your child, wouldn't be St to be its guardian? And now, Aody, don't you think yourself—if you should come into Court and ask the Judge to appoint such fellow guardian—that you would be sent right away to the madhouse ? Now, ses I, Andy, that's jest what the people think, and they intend to stand by Con gress iu Keeping the rebels out, and ii jpu'd only turn and be with then, Andy, in that you'd be all right; but if you don'- sea 1, Andy, you'l be ground to mince meat. Ses he, Major, do you think tUt ? Yen. see I, Audy, I'm iftire cf it NUMBER 84. snd with that he took n drink, and ask ed me to jine him. which, out of sheet rospeet. T did. Majcf; ses Andy, did von fp«» an account of tho Johnson (Huh? Pes T. Andy, what upon alrth do yon wnnt with n club of Copperhead*—you In the middle and thev alt curled up end hissing, ready to give you a dab behind nnd before ? Now, se* I, Andy, this Is a plan to catch you. There's Tool he'd throw his arms around your neok and palaver you with a stream of blarney «tmng enough to turn a oomtnon sized water wheel, and say: Yes, Mr. Presi dent, theee .extremists are extremely ex tremo and fanattcally funatio, calling for the exercise of the superior, I ranscenfisbil nnd unparalled wisdom which you are known jo poetess. Xnd then he'l go right off to the old public functionary, (Montgomery Blair) and the rost of them nnd toin/c and tell them how