leiillm
B. F. SCHWEIER, . THE C9NSTITUTI05 THE CKION AlfD THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS. Editor and Proprietor.
YQL. XXIX. MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA., JANUARY 13, 1S75. NO. 3.
POETBT.
A LEU1L ATTACH EXT.
Believe me. Bern, when I declare
A title deed my heart.
And 70a the party of the first.
And I the second part
That I have an attachment true
In useless quite to mention;
In vain I seek to serve 70a and
Arrest yonr sweet attention.
Von know von owned some love fur me
When I the question mooted.
But now it seems to me you act
As if yoa were non-suited.
My case is one in equity;
I've pleaded wtth precision:
Von know the points; why will yon then
So long reserve decision ?
I make no dilatory plea;
I'm driven to distraction !
L'uless I soon obtain relief,
I'm sore I sliall take action.
At first a civil snit I'll bring
At Cnptd'e Berial session;
And there, a plaintive lover, ask
For judgment by confession.
Now don't demur when this yon read.
But own yon feel compunction.
For I my suit will prosecute
In spite of yonr injunction.
And if, my judgment ia despite.
Yon will not hear me still.
I'll Ret an order from the court
I" adiniuistor your will.
I trust you'll file an answer brief
To this, my declaration.
Or else I shall proceed to make
A cruHS-examiuation.
IS4 :l.l.4i.
Haiti j Squandered.
How we launch the bolts of reproof
against tbe foolish youth who wantonly
squanders bia inheritance ! How we
sermonize njon the subject of improvi
dence, when gold has leen lavished by
a foolish hand ! With that pitying eyes
we look npon the individual whom the
world terms a spendthrift I What wise
aaws and Rage sayings are uttered npon
the sin of moneyed extravagance ! Dis
mal, indeed, are the wailings over the
man who dissipates his birthright, and
scatters broadcast the wealth which good
fortune has placed within Lis coffers.
And with what admiration do we not re
gard the thrifty and the prndent
gatherer of riches 1 See how carefully
he converts units into hnndreds,
hundreds into thousands, and thousands
into millions I Every coin be husbands
with praiseworthyeconomy.and watches
its increase with the joy of a mother as
she beholds her progeny waxing Btrong
in health and numbers. Nut a penny
leaves his fingers unlets to be well re
turned in a necessary equivalent. As
there is no term at all to the keeping of
the spendthrift's riches, so there is no
limit to the increase of the prudent and
and careful money-merchant. He not
only has more than enough to meet all
his wants, and to enable him to perform
few charitable duties, but he acquires
the means of making rich his relatives
and dear friends' when he quits this
world for a higher sphere. Yes, where
mere dross is concerned onr censnre or
our admiration can be easily and per
manently evoked. But did it ever oc
cur to the reader that there are other
spendthrifts and other prudent and
thrifty people besides those who waste
and save money ? Are you sure that
you are not spendthrift ? a much
, -ti ill a n
more reprenensi Die spenuinnii uiu iuo
sqandererof filthy lucre? Don't you,
by overwork, by neglect of sunshine and
air, by an obstinate and indefensible
clinging to old prejudices in medical
matters, by your late hours, your foolish
habits in general, your constant over
drafts upon your nervous revenue, your
unequal taxation of the brain, stomach
and organs of circulation, your wretched
waste of vitality in a thousand different,
needless and ruinous ways, spend in the
wildest and most senseless extravagance
that which constitutes your existence ?
Are yqu not daily nay, hourly,
squandering the principal constituents,
ingredients the very essences of life ?
Not only life, but of long life ? And
knowing that you have done, or are
doing so, do you, like the prudent
business man with reference to his
lessened capital, seek to renovate, build
np and restore what you have lost ?
This is a momentous question. "What
hall it profit a man if he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul ?" is a start
ling interrogation. And, without be
littling the spiritual importance of that
interrogation, let me ask what is the
Erofit of a fortune if the life-capital is
ankmpted ? He that is wise he that
accomplishes the just and true end for
which he was created will avoid being
a spendthrift with the vital forces. If he
baa unwittingly overdrained his stock
of vitality if he is now doing to, per
haps unavoidably, let him fly to Nature
(who will not fail him) for a new stock,
and restoratives which are life itself.
Recalarilr or IIbil a Xerexlly.
Very ft'"" persons understand how
greatly health and happiness in this
world depend UMin the regularity of
their dailv habits the constant recur
rent of those events which we are apt
to refer to as tiresome ami monotonous.
During the early and later periods of
life this "even tenor"' is essential toour
well-being ; and though we may feel
like kicking the traces when at the
zenith of power nnd activity, and some
times My on" at tangents, or p rid (
our superfluous energies in odd and
eccentric wars, yet we usually come
back, or at least try to come back to
onr mooring, and gladly accept the
treadmill path of daily duty, which, if
it brings no ecstatic pleasure, leaves 110
remorse. , , , . ,.
Everyone can nnderstand how dis
agreeable it would be not to le able to
make sure of one's dinner; to le de
prived of bed and sleep; to loose the
eniovment of abundance of good water,
a dailv bath and a daily paper; but
npon the recurrence of many more and
much smaller niinnti:v do we depend
for our dailv comfort T We like certain
kinds of bread at every meal; we want
meat alwavs cooked in certain favorite
ways, and expect to lind it so as natur
ally as we exect the sun to shine. H e
get to seeing certain things in certain
places, and we would not miss them
upon any account, a tree, a bush, a
picture, or a chair, which occupies the
same place for yeais, acquires a value
to our consciousness which only the
habit of seeing it can give it. The
world seems very large in growth, and
full of many and varied interests, but
it contracts as we grow older, and the
objects of value to us narrow them
selves down to those which we know to
be real, ajid which form our lives.
Xaturallv, as these grow fewer in
number they grow dearer. and the more
we dislike to niisa them from our sight
and sense. No lives are so bappv as
those which are so well ordered that
there is little to resign, and to which,
therefore, very year brings added in
terest and added enjoyment in the
regular discharge of individual and
social duty.
RIGOLOT'S ORDEALS.
Ton were told some weeks sgo how
my French friend, Blaise Rigolot. be
came enamored of the dowry of Miss
Ruth Cumleigb, and succeeded in in
truding himself npon her attention.
This week be and I have been staying
at Cumleigb. Lodge, in Surrey, to
honor the pheasant preserves ; but we
have been doing something else besides
shoot, thanks to the ingenious spirit of
Aiiss r.utn.
You recollect being informed that
Mr. Cumleigh had fallen into bad odor
among society, owing to Miss Ruth's
eccentric proceedings. Having a ro
mantic mania for testing the personal
courage of her adorers, this young lady
had played pranks npon certain weU
connected gentlemen notaby a guards
man or two and these pranks had
redounded more to Miss Ruth's per
spicacity than to the glorification of
her victims. To revenge themselves
the well connected gentlemen who had
been made to show the white feather
had spread the report that Mr. Cum
leigh was disgracefully bad from a
person of whose antecedents nothing
was known, and must have made his
fortune by modes of which no right
thinking mind could approve. As for
me, I only half believed this ; bnt
having a great opinion of myself bke
the rest of yon, I hesitated to accept
Mr. Cumleigh's invitation, and it was
only at the instant supplication of
Rigolot that I at length condescended
to accompany him. When we arrived.
Miss Rnth thanked me with a demure
little bow, for the honor I was doing
her father's roof, and hoped that I
should not find tbe hospitality of it too
humble.
This was nonsense for a less hnmble
place could not le found for advertis
ing. Cumleigh Lodge is rich, luxuri
ous, and yet tasteful for those who,
knowing little of the houses of city
plutocrats, prate of the ostentatious,
vulgarity of these abodes, forget that
men like Mr. Cumleigh seldom consult
their own tastes in the mutter of furni
ture, bnt appeal to artistic upholster
ers. Before I had spent a clock ronnd
at the Lodge I could not help wishing
that some of the aristocracy, among
whom my acquaintances chiefly lie as
I think I was good enough to explain
to you before would take a leaf out of
a city man's book. The only thing to
complain of was that among the other
guests invited were a trifle too many
fellow city men strongly perfumed with
gold. But after all, gold is a good
perfume.
The other morning, then, after a
satisfying breakfast of game pies, we
observed that the sky was weeping,
and as sport was difficult under the
circumstances, I strolled in the billirrd
room and began knocking the balls
about, waiting for Rigolot to join me.
I had scarcely been so engaged a
minute when Ruth Cumleigh glided in
with a gravity of purpose on her pretty
face. She was adorably fresh, dressed
in a bnff costume, or ecru linen, with
a velvet band and large medalion round
her neck, velvet bracelets ronnd her
wrists, and a scarlet rose stuck, as by
the merest accident, in her girdle. Lay
ing her finger on her lips she motioned
to me to follow her into tbe conserva
tory adjoining the billiard room, and
there, when I had let fall the curtain,
she said :
"Mr. Trefoil."
"Miss Cumleigh."
"Your French friend is making vio
lent love to me."
'l do not wonder at it,"
"It's a matter of of taste; but I
should be careful before marrying a
Frenchman."
"An authentic Viscount, I believe."
"O, foreign Viscounts And then I
have no faith in the courage of these
Frenchmen. They boast too much,
and I wonld not give a pin for a man
who boasted and had no courage. He
would be sure to tyrannize and make
one wretched and ashamed of him.
What is your opinion of Monsieur
Rigolot ?"
"Try him."
' That is what I mean to do if you
will help me. There is a ghost who is
said to haunt a churchyard near here.
Do you think Monsieur Rigolot is
afraid of ghosts ?"
"I have little taste for them myself
but a Frenchman may be above such
prejudice."
"And do yon think that Monsieur
Rigolot would like to be awakened at
night by two armed burglars pointing
revolvers in his face?" asked Miss
Ruth, fixing her large eyes on me.
"I can only answer for myself, and
confess that a night so disturbed would
be most diagreeably noted in my
memory."
"Well, I think lhat will do then,"
said the pleasant young lady gravely ;
"and to-morrow if he gets through the
two trials creditably, I will tell him
that papa has received a telegram say
ing that his fortune is in jeopardy. I
shall see then whether your friend cares
for me or ray money."
I laughed, she laughed, and between
us we agreed to submit Rigolot to as
uncomfortable a series of ordeals as I
have ever heard devised. So that
evening at dinner, just as the soup was
being removed, and before any of the
guests had time to draw on artificial
courage from wine, Ruth Cumleigh re
marked quietly : "Papa, it's to-night
tbe ghost pays a veaily visit to Grave-
hill Churchyard.
"My dear child, how can you say
such foolish things ?"
"Mademoisellee believes in ghosts
zen ?" inquired Rigolot, displaying his
white teeth on tbe other side of tbe
table.
'In undoubted ghosts. Monsieur
Rigolot, and this one has frightened
several people to death. I'm sure it
makes one's flesh creep to think of it.
Do yon not believe in ghosts T"
Rigolot 's handsome face at once be
came serious.
"Zere are more things in heaven
and earth r.n we dream of, as your
Shakespeare says. Mademoiselle; I
cannot deny vat"l know nozing about ;
but I care not for ghosts I mock my
self of zem for what can zey do to
me ?"
"Tbe answei of a sensible and brave
man. Mossbeer Rigolot," exclaimed
Mr. Cumleigh with approval, and the
other city men, their wives and mobile
incumbrances, concurred. But Ruth
ejaculated, smiling, as if skeptical.
"Well, should yoa dare to go and
stand in Gravehill Churchyard alone at
midnight Monsieur Rigolot ?"
My friend made one of his inimitable
French bows ; and asked whether Miss
Ruth would favor him with her com
pany ; but she answered that the test
of pooo curanteism in these cases con
sists in being quite solitary. Accord
ingly it was understood that the
Frenchman set out for Gravehill un
attended at half past eleven ; and I am
bound to own that the prospect of this
excursion did not interfere in the lesst
with Rigolot's good humor or appetite.
He ate, chatted and joked as usual, I
took rather less wine than his wont.
and at the appointed time, notwith
standing tbe dissuasions of Mr. Cum
leigh, who begged him not to consider
the whims of a spoiled child, he donned
his bat and overcoat and sallied forth
It was especially noticed that he did
not take a stick or umbrella.
As soon as he was gone, Ruth
hastened to her room, and in ten
minutes reappeared, having changed
her dress and put on a thick shawl and
bonnet. I was in waiting to give her
my arm, and together we walked out.
going at a fast pace to reach the
churchyard before midnight.
It was about five minutes to twelve
when we arrived, and, looking through
a crevice in the low wall that sur
rounded the churchyard, we perceived
tbe Frenchman sitting unconcernedly
upon a tombstone. There was no rain,
the moon was beamsng, and tall, very
funereal, shadows were cast into the
depths of the buttresses, and on one
side of the spire, which rose straight
and high in the clear air, Rigolot's face
stood fall in the mooulight, and we
could see that indifference was perfect.
Humming a tune, he drew a cigar case
from his pocket, and struck a fusee on
his tombstone.
"Manly but profane," whispered
Ruth, clinging to my arm.
It was at that very moment when
midnight clanged from the steeple ;
and precisely to tbe hour, a towering
white apparition glided from the gloom
of tbe church porch, and walked straight
toward Rigolot.
Not to alarm anybody, it may be
stated that this apparition was nothing
but a gardener's boy who was a great
ally of Ruth in these adventures and
who played his part by the customary
means of a sheet and a pole with
phospbonzed mangelwurzel at the top.
This gardener's boy then advanced ;
but the instant he began to be seen
stalking among tbe tombs, Rigolot
raised a bright, joyous laugh without
a quaver in it jumped from his grave
and walked to meet him. The gbost
was net unprepared for this move, and
receded ; Rigolot followed. The ghost,
thoroughly mystified, broke ground ;
then, seeing tbe Frenchman continue
to approach, turned tail and ran.
Hereupon Rigolot's merry voice rang
out in reiterated peals, and he called
out, with wonderful intrepidity and
archness.
"Come, don't be afraid of me, my
good ghost. I am only a man. Accept
a cigaret !"
Rath was abashed as we made our
way home. There was no doubt R;g
olot bad got the best of the first loiit,
and I suggested the propriety of dis
pensing him from the burglary ordeal.
But tbe arrangements had already been
made. The gardener's boy, a young
city gentleman named Tuttle, who had
been sworn into the conspiracy, and
myself had all rehearsed for climbing
into Rigolot's balcony with crape
masks on our faces ; and both Rath
and Tnttle anticipated too much good
fun for this performance to be baulked
of it. Well, it was good fun after all,
especially for Tuttle. I pass over the
congratulations which Rigolot received
on his return from the ghost expedi
tion, and come at once to the small
hour of three in tbe morning, when tbe
gardener. Tattle, and I found ourselves
climbing a Udder under Rigolot's bal
cony, each with a horse pistol in his
hand. Tuttle led tlie way, and being
provided with a glazier's instrument
for cutting glass, coolly removed a
pane, passed his hand through the
aperture, opened the window. . and
walked in. He had difficulty in sup
pressing his grins, but he did not grin
long.
1 have never heard for certain what
actually ensued ; but it seems that
Rigolot was awakened by the noise,
faint as it was, and seeing a bnrglar
there was a night-light on the chimney
place leaped out of bed, fiew to a
drawer, and extracted a revolver, thence
let fly the whole six barrels at Tuttle
without a word of warning. In saying
six barrels, however, it is fair to men
tion that Tnttle did not wait for any
barrels after the first, for in ono bound
he was on tbe balcony, and in a second
he had dropped headlong on to the
flower-bed twenty feet below, without
so much as touching the ladder. Tbe
gardener and I followed in a state of
emotion which you may be left to
imagine, for we heard the bullets
crashing with fearful bangs through
one pane after another ; bnt possibly
Rigolot did not really aim at any of us,
for it was noticed afterward that all
the bullets went through the upper
panes.
Well, Rigolot triumphed in two
trials, but the worst was 'sent him just
before luncheon that day.' All tbe
morning there had been panic-stricken
talk among tbe city men about the
presumed burglary of the night, and
Rigolot had given his version of that
startling episode to a couple of police
men who were sent for from the vil
lage. He was calm in bis account, and
strictly modest ; in fact, his attitude
was such as wonld have given any
ordinary young lady the highest opinion
of him. And yet toward one o'clock
Ruth Cumleigh, her face sparkling with
mischief, suddenly passed through the
room where I was, and, beckoning to
me with her finger, said :
"Just stand behind the door, Mr.
Trefoil, and you'll see."
Rigolot was seated, reading. He
rose and abruptly exclaimed :
"What is the matter, Mademoiselles?
You are crying."
,0, never mind me. Monsieur Rig
olot ; it's enly for papa I care ; be has
just received a letter announcing his
ruin."
"Good heavens ! mined I"
"Yes, complete ruin. It "seems he
will not be able to save a shilling. O,
dear ! to think be should sutler like
this!"
"Ruined I" exclaimed Rigolot with
an extraordinary ontbnrst of feeling.
"Ah, Mademoiselle forgive me for say
ing a hard zing, but I am half glad of
this. Yes ; I had long loved yoa I bnt
yoa were rich, and I feared my atten
tions might be misjudged. But now
zat I am richer zan yon, say, my beau
tiful, darling Rath, yoa will be mine t"
And hereon I, behind my door, heard
something not unlike kisses ; protests ;
then more kissing.
An hour later, Rigolot came to me in
tbe garden and said :
"Mon cher, I marry myself to Meea
Ruth."
"I congratulate you, Rigolot."
Then Rigolot winked such a wink.
"I was in the billiard room yesterday
morning, and overheard yoa both."
Think over all possible ways of en
larging yonr business and ask yonrself
honestly which will soonest, most
surely and most largely contribute to
that result with the least expense. Is
not the answer found in advertising,
which while it talks for the merchant
also leaves him free to attend to all who
are moved to do business with him.
Pulpit aad Pew.
Oar age is specially distinguished as
sn extravagantly ambitious and acqui-
site one. In no age of the world was
ever the love of wealth more absorbing,
nor were men even more desirous to ob
tain it. Perhaps one-half the evils of
social life result from the excessive in
dulgence of this overmastering pas
sion. It blinds tbe eyes to moral good,
it saps the principles of virtue and hon
esty, it throws a veil of discontent over
the simple and purer enjoyments of
bfe or blots them altogether out of
view, it induces a thousand vanaties, it
fosters a world of sin, it is as unwise as
it is unsatisfactory, for it makes men
forget their truest interests their alle
giance to God. their duty to their fel
low-men, and the general well being of
the society to which they belong. All
the right enjoyment and best happiness
of life are dislocated and perverted by
it. It would hardly be inferred, from
the lax or indifferent way in which the
pulpit ordinarily regards it, that the
uncurbed love and pursuit of wealth,
for its own sake, was denounced in the
strongest manner by the divine Author
of Christianity.
The enterprises of business and the
pursuits of commerce offer a noble
field for energy and action ; but why
should they be followed to the exclu
sion of every other ? The interests of
a happy and healthy existence must be
numerous and varied, yet how often
are all others excluded by the all con
suming usurpation of these 1 Suppose
tbe pulpit were to institute a universal
protest, a kind of united crusade,
against this monstrous and growing
evil : suppose it were to point oat stu
diously and clearly at what a sacrifice
such a condition of things is main
tained ; suppose it were persistently to
impress upon those who had obtained
a competency in business, instead of
going on adding gold to gold, bonse to
boose, field to field, the desirability of
giving themselves to other objects and
pursuits, and of allowing the hundreds
of others, comparatively indignant, the
means of obtaining a subsistence. If
tbe pnlpit were to do this vigorously
and energetically, its advocacy might
go far, ultimately, to infuse a new ele
ment and motive in society ; to induce
a new set of principles for its govern
ment and guidance ; to reveal a fresh
and wider horizon in the economy of
life. Of coarse its influence at first
would be relatively small. There
would be a world of prejudice and pre
dilection to be removed ; there would
be numerous cases in which the man of
business would be tied to his occupa
tion by attachments more or less in
severable. Bnt supposing the pulpit
were only faithful to its mission, sup
posing it was effective only on a moiety
of the cases presenting no real obstacle
to such a coarse, what an enormous
measure of good might be brought
about ! To many tbe very idea would
be a new one a sort of revelation pre
sented to them with the force of a desi
rable possibility for the first time.
Value of Fish-Food.
Many elaborate comparisons have
been made as to the comparative food-
values of batcher-meat and fish, and
occasional controversies have arisen on
the subject, in which the ntmost diver
sity of opinion has been expressed.
Some economic writers maintain that
fish has no food-value worth speaking
of ; others say that fish-food must oc
cupy a middle position between vegeta
bles, and beef and mutton. Again, a
learned authority says that fish, well
cooked, with oil or fat of some kind, or
served with butter when brought to
table ; "is chemically the same as
butcher-meat, so far as nutrition is con
cerned." Another writer says that fish
as food, is only fit for children and in
valids, and is totally unfitted to sup
port the health and vigor of men or wo
men engaged in laborious occupations.
As usual in such disputes, we may hold
that tbe truth lies between the two ex
tremes. Many people following labori
ous occupations, especially in Scotland,
live largely npon fish. In that country
the fisherman themselves eat a consid
erable portion, and as a class, fisher
man are strong and healthy ; and the
wives who undertake a part of the men's
work, are still stronger and healthier.
In Portugal fish fried in oil forms a
very large proportion of tbe food of the
population ; their fish-diet is supple
mented by a little bread and fruit, and
although tbe peasantry of the land
never partake of fleshmeat, yet they
are a hardy, vigorous, and brave peo
ple. Let it be remembered that fish
is a necessity of life in France and
Spain, and as regards the latter coun
try, a constant organization is at work
in our own islands to supply it with
many kinds of cured fish. A huge por
tion of tbe pilchards taken on the coast
of Cornwall, as well as many hundred
hogsheads of cared and smoked her
rings, are sent to the Spanish markets.
Cfiambcr't Journal.
Cared Her.
An old man up in Connecticut had
a poor cranky bit of a wife, who regu
larly once a week got np in the night
and invited the family to see her die.
She gave away her things, spoke her
last words, made her peace with heaven,
and then abont eight o'clock she got np
in the usual way, and disappointed
everybody by going at ber household
duties as if nothing had happened.
The old man got sick of it finally, and
went ont and got a coffin, a real nice
cashmere shroud, a wreath of immor
telles, and with "Farewell, Mary Ann"
worked in a handful of silver-plated
screws. Laying the scrcw-d river besides
the collection, he invited her to holler
die once more. "Do it," said he, 'and
in you go, and this farewell business is
over." Mary Ann is at this moment
baking buckwheat cakes for a large
and admiring family, while they dry
apples in the coffin up in the garret.
The KtillneM ! Sight aad Home.
It is night now, and here is home.
Gathered under the quiet roof, elders
and children lie, alike at rest. In the
midst of a great calm the stars look out
from the heavens. The silence is peo
pled with the past sorrowful remorse
for sins and shortcomings, memories of
passionate joys and griefs rise ont of
their graves, both new alike calm and
sad. Eyes, as I shut mine, look at me
that have long since ceased to shine.
Tbe town and the fair landscape sleep
under the starlight, wreathed under
the Autumn mist. Twinkl h r among
the houses, a light keeps watch, here
and there in what may be a sick chamber
or two. The clock tolls sweetly in tbe
silent air. Here is night and rest An
awful sense of thanks makes the heart
swell and the head bow, as I pass to my
room through the sleeping house, and
feel as though a hushed blessing were
upon it. Thackeray.
Can yon spell consent in only three
letters ? Y-e-s.
Some Wle Old Rats.
I heard the narrative first from the
lips of an old sea captain a man of nn
questionable veracity and I have not
tbe slightest doubt of its entire truth'
fulness, although the reader is not
obbged to believe it, I will give it as
nearly as I can remember in the narra
tor's own words :
"I sailed from New York for Liver
pool, with an assorted cargo," said the
captain, "in a ship terribly infested
with rats. I tried every plan I could
think of to lessen their number, but all
withont effect. Tbe more I caught the
more there seemed to be, till I became
almost dishearted and well-nigh re
solved to let them alone altogether.
"At length one of the sailors sug
gested a new trap, which struck me as
ingenious, and which I thought Likely
to prove efficient. Acting under the
advice of the old sea-dog alluded to, I
took a barrel, which I half filled with
water then I took the head belonging
to the barrel and trimmed it on the
edges, till it was small enongh to fit in
side the barrel across this head I
nailed a stick, the ends of which pro
jected abont an inch on each side,
which ends I had whittled round then
I bored two holes, one each side of the
barrel, near the top, and inserted tbe
ends of the stick therein, so that the
head while apparently covering the bar
rel, swung free of it. Now I fastened
a piece of pork on the exact center of
the cover so that it would swing neither
one way nor tbe other unless touched
on the edges, and my trap was complete.
Tbe reader will readily understand that
when a rat leaped on the edge of the
cover to get at tbe pork in the center,
it would go down with bis weight and
drop him into tbe water below after
which it wonld swing to its former po
sition and be ready for the next cus
tomer. "The trap succeeded admirably. On
the morning after I first set it I counted
thirty dead rats in tbe barrel hne fat
fellows, who had been plundering tbe
ship's stores till they had swelled to
aldermanic proportions. On the second
night I caught twenty on the third
night twelve on the fourth night two
on the fifth night none at all and
yet strange to say, tbe pork was gone.
I baited it again and again, but each
time the pork was gone and no raft
were cany hi. This puzzled me not a
little. How could the rodents secure
the pork withont getting a free bath ?
The subject worried me. I called a
council of war consisting of tbe entire
crew and officers of the ship, but no
body could suggest a solution of the
mystery, and in the meantime the rats
were thicker than ever. Aiy curiosity
and my combativeDess were both
aroused. I resolved to solve the mys
tery at any cost. I determined to
watch.
"Accordingly at about seven o'clock
one evening, while it was yet light, I
took a binnacle litlit and went down
into the hold of thi ship where I had
fixed my trap. I hung a lamp on a nail
and ensconciDg myself behind a cask of
beef in an easy a position as possible, I
settled myself to await patiently a solu
tion of the problem which had fo puz
zled and vexed me.
"An hour possed by and yet no sound
save the plash of tbe waves as they
parted from the ship's bow, and the
straining of the cordage, fell upon my
ears. My eyes had become accustomed
to the darkness of tbe bold, and the
'dim religious light' thrown by the bin
nacle lamp, made everything around
me distinctly visible.
"At length a slight scratching noise,
followed by a squeak, startled me. and
the next moment two grav -looking and
obese old rats ran to tbe cleared space
whereon the barrel stood, and snuffing
the air as they looked around, began to
reconnoiter.
"Seemingly satisfied after a brief in
vestigation that no enemy was at band,
they scampered back, and in the course
of some five minutes returned with an
army numbering some thirty or forty
of their companions at their back.
"I watched with breathless eager
ness to see what would follow next.
"After apparently consulting together
while the rats divided themselves into
two squads, and one-half remained on
one side of the barrel while tbe other
half went ronnd on the other side.
I hen tbe party on the side nearest me
ascended tbe side of tbe barrel one after
another, each placing his forward feet
on the edge of tbe cover to hold it
ilown. and then the party on tbe oppo
site side ascended, surrounded tbe pork
loosened it from the cover, dragged it
to the ground, and then the whole party
surrounded it and began greedily to de
vour it. The mystery was explained,
and I concluded that from that time
forth it was useless to attempt to cir
cumvent the rodent thieves. Grasping
an old belaying pin, which somehow
bad fonnd its way into the bold, 1 let it
fly fall force at tbe crowd, and suc
ceeded in knocking over some three or
four of them, and I bothered myself no
farther about them.
The good-bye Hospital If jr.
The half of hospitality lies in the
speeding of parting guests. Lavish
welcomes are easily enongh bestowed,
bnt the hospitable thonght mnst be
very genuine, indeed, which dares to
leave the gnost as free and welcome to
go as to come. We all suffer, now and
then, from undue nrging to stay when
we prefer to go, and nearly every one of
us is himself a sinner in this regard,
too. No sooner does the guest intimate
a wish to terminate his visit than we fly
in the face of his desire, and urge him
to stay longer. We sometimes do this,
too, as a mere matter of dnty. when in
ont hearts we care very little whether
the guest goes or stays. We feel onr
selves bound to show onr appreciation
of our friend's visit by asking that be
prolong it Now, true hospitality ought
to learn better than this. Our effort
should be, from first to last, to make
our friend's visit thoroughly pleasant
and agreeable to him. We strive for
this result in hastening to offer him the
most comfortable chair and to set ont
our best viands, if he break bread with
us. It is that he may enjoy his stay
that we take pains to talk only upon
agreeable topics. In short, from the
time he crosses our threshold until he
rises to leave we make tbe moments slip
by as pleasantly as possible. Bat the
moment he asks for his hat our courtesy
fails us. Hitherto we have studied to
anticipate and gratify his every wish.
Now that he wishes to go, however,
we endeavor to thwart his pleasure. We
selfishly try to tarn him from his pur
pose to ours. We wish him to stay when
be wishes to go. Courtesy would
prompt us to give his wish precedence of
our own, but as a rule, we ask him to
sacrifice his own to onr pleasure.
Selected
St, Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh is to
have new stained-glass windows in the
style of the fifteenth century. They
are to be manufactured in France at a
cost of 10,01)0, it is said.
Contents of a Girl's Side-Pocket.
For several days an article of lady's
wearing apparel known, the reporter
believes, bnt isn't quite sure, as a
"side-pocket," has been hanging in the
Mayors office awaiting an owner. It
was picked np on the street, and evi
dently belongs to a school Miss. It
contains a wonderful assortment of
articles, to be equaled only by tbe con
tents of the pocket of a boy who is just
beginning to sport a pair of pantaloons.
An examination of it resulted in the
following discoveries : The first thing
unearthed was a slip of paper on which
was written the following :
A millAtme and the hntnn heart
Are driven everaruuiid.
If the; h.ve nuthmit eliw- tn grin 1,
1 twy niuirt tUeuMvivea be grouuL
Now that's pretty good, bat here is
an effusion of a somewhat different
literary style, bnt quite common nowa
days :
Tabevtcx : Yoa 'are no iinhine. Ton are a
temiet, mo uu are, Auawer. Yn are a'great irl
juu are, f-hHii Hubiii kii
The next thing fished out was a piece
of white paper, torn from the margin
of a newspaper, and on which was
written, "I have not got a demerit. I
got them all taken off." This is school
girl all over, and is also quite sugges
tive. The note leaves the inference
that the writer had received demerit
marks, but "soft-soaped" her teacher
and got them canceled. Well, there is
nothing like knowing how to get along.
Following this was another piece of
paper containing the address of "Bertha
Spates," Clarksburg, Harrison County,
W. Vs., " and this was accompanied by
a pass not yet used on the West Pecn
Railroad from Allegheny City to Butler,
bearing the name of Thomas Mdler.
Delving deeper "Bnrnett's Floral
Hand-Book," giving evidence of much
use, was brought forth ; also a paper of
pins, a hair-pin, a lot of twine string,
and, alas, must it be said, a package ol
"nieen fan." It may be something
else perhaps a sample of White River
flour, lily white, Spanish whiting, or
plaster of Paris. At any rate it was
white. The last article developed by
th-j investigation occasioned much se
rious consideration before a conclusion
was reached as to what it could be. It
was a muslin string, tied with a knot,
and when laid on tbe desk naturally
formed a circle, as though that was its
normal condition, aud as if to indicate
that its proper use had been to encircle
something round. After considerable
time niHjut iu cogitating the writer
finally arrived at the unaided decision
that it belonged to tbe same class as
the article of womeu's wearing apparel
once nnfortnnately dropped by the
Duchess of Shrewsbury, probably be
cause it ha lu't been tied titfht enongh,
and which Sir Sidney Smith picked up
and with the now historical expression
Jloni Koit qui vial y wnxr, but as ren
dered by a later writer "honey swot
kee Molfv Ponse." We have been thus
elaborate in the description of the con-1
tents of this "side-pocket
Decanse the !
owner may wish to recover it, and this j
aruciu xxiav hiu tier iu imj;uiiuK .
If she will call at the Mayor s olhee it
will lie returned to her, garter aud all.
Pittrnmrg Gazette.
llitunata More at Uarrick'M
neral.
Fn
"The beil at St. Martin's and the Ab-
bey gave a sound that smote npon my
very soul. When we got to the clois
ters we found multitudes striving for
admittance. We gave up our ticket,
but unluckily we ought to have kept
it. We followed the man who unlocked
a door of iron, and directly closed it
upon ns as two or three othere, and we
found ourselves in a tower, with a dark,
winding staircase of a half hundred
stone steps. When we got to the top
there was no way out. We ran down
again, called and beat the door till the
whole place resounded with our cries.
Here we stayed half an hoar in perfect
agony ; we were sure it would be all
over ; nay we might never be let ont ;
we might starve ; we might perish !
At length our clamors brought an hon
est man, a guardian angel 1 then thought
him. We implored of bim to take care
of us, and to get us into a part of the
Abbey where we might see tbe grave.
He asked for the Bishop's ticket ; we
had given it away to the wrong person,
and he was not obliged to believe we
bad ever had one ; yet he saw so mnch
truth in onr grief that althongh we
were most shabby, and a hundred fine
people were soliciting the same favor,
he took us nnder each arm, carried us
safely through the crod, and put us
in a little gallery directly over the grave
where we could see and hear everything
as distinctly as if tbe Abbey had been
a parlor. Little things sometimes af
fect tbe mind strongly. We were no
sooner recovered from the fresh burst
of grief than I cast my eyes, tbe first
thing, on Handel's monument, and
read the scroll in bis hand. I know
that my Redeemer liveth. Just at that
moment the great doors burst open
with a noise tbat shook the roof; the
organ struck up, and the whole choir,
in strains only less solemn than tbe
'archangel's trumpet,' beg in Handel's
tine anthem. Tbe whole choir advanced
to the grave, in hoods and surplices,
singing all the way ; then Sheridan as
chief mourner ; then the body alas !
whose body ? with ten noblemen anil
gentlemen pall-bearers ; then the rest
of the friends and mourners ; hardly a
dry eye the very players, bred to the
trade of counterfeiting, shed genuine
tears.
As soon as tbe body was let down,
the Bishop began the service, which he
read in a low bnt solemn and devont
manner. Such an awful stillness
reigned that every word vt audible.
How I felt it ? Judge if my heart- did
not assent to the hope that the soul of
our dear brother was now departed in
peace.'
Dangeron wealth.
The London Globe says : "It is said
that among tbe possessions inherited
by tbe present Duke of Richmond was
found a bank-note for X.",x). This
uniqne piece of paper money of whose
existence we have no doubt, was pre
served with great caution, and by means
which mnst have been a source of peril
to friends and foes. We are informed
..I t, t l.t
'tat the late Duke caused the note to,
be 'deposited m a casket L and this ,
casket was so fastened that any one who
casae waa so tasieueu iu a-j j one wuo ,
attempted to handle it at once received I
. 1 u . rvt. 1 . .
six pistol-shots. The ingenious casket, j
.0 are o.u, oerame . ui.rueumrj
session to the present Djke. His an-
ceebur uw uui .1 aupuiikiru m j ujiu mtj
1 1 1 .. . 1 1. : . 1 ,
secret by which it might be opened
wUfety.and he was? thereforefnot
.UncweTrenotXrd tTlearn
that he finally determined to deliver
the casket and its contents to the Bink
of England, and to permit the officers
of that establishment to investigate
the ingenuity of tbe terrible contrivance.
The duties of property would even be
in excess of its rights if every inheri
tance were tied up' in this way."
TOITHV coin.
Abraham's Faith. Once Alice asked
what tbe word "faith" meant.
"To believe in any one and trust
him," answered cousin Helen. "Shall
1 tell you a story that will teach you to
understand tbe word ?
"Oh yes," said Alice.
"I told you abont Abraham, and how
God gave him a son. He loved this
son, Isaac, very much, more than he
loved anything else excepting God.
Now one day God told him to take this
boy and sacrifice hiaa. In those days
they worshipped God by laying an ani
mal npon a pile of stones called an
altar, and killing it, and burning its
body. Ihat was what Abraham was
asked to do with Isaac."
"O cousin Helen, would that be right
to kill his own son ?"
"It seemed a very strange thing to
Abraham, but he trusted in God, had
faith in Him, and he knew that what
ever God told him to do would be
right. So he took Isaac and went a
great way from home ; until they came
to a high hilL Isaac knew that they
were going to sacrifice to God, and he
was carrying the wood and fire. Bnt
he did not know that he was to be the
one sacrificed. After they had built an
altar, Abraham took his son and tied
him with a rope and laid him on the
stones."
"Did Isaac let him ?"
"Yes, Johnny, because he had faith
in bis father, just as his father had
faith in Gm1. And now the time had
come to kill the sacrifice. It was a
bard thing to do. Abraham knew that ;
when Isaac was dead he would be child- j
less, and he did not see how God could j
keep His promise to make Abraham's
children a great people. Still he knew j
that God was alwavs right. So he took ;
np the knife and turned to the altar
where bis son lay. And jnst then God
called to bim saying :
"Do not touch the boy. Yoa have
shown how mash yon love and trust
me, becanse you did not keep even your
son from me."
Abraham looked up, and there, in
the bashes, a ram was caught by its
horns He took that and sacrificed it,
aud then he and Isaac went home. How
happy be was to know that be had his
boy with him, and best of all, that he
had faith in (Sod 1"
"God loved Abraham, didn't he ?"
"Alice, God loves all of ns so much
that He sent His own dear Son, Jesus,
to die for us. Near the very hill that
Abraham went to, Jesus was nailed to
the cross, and died, so that we may be
saved if we only have faith in Him."
PoT.rrn CrctLDRES. "Thank yon,
Charlie," said Mrs. Brown, as her little
son handed her a paper be was requested
to bring.
"That you, Bridget," said the little
fellow a few hours after, as he received
a glas of water from his nurse.
'Well Mrs Kmrti vnn h.-. !.
kpst mannnmi pin! Inm I avi,- tf "
said a neighbor. "I should be thankful
are to the servants. You never spend
half so much time on your children's
clothes as I do, and yet every one
notices them, they are so w ill-behaved."
"We always try to tr ar our children
politely," was the quiet repty.
This was the whole secret. When I
; bear parents grumbling abont the ill-
manners of their children, I always
wisn to ass, -nave you always treated
them with politeness ?"
Many parents who are polite and
polished in their manners toward the
world at large are perfect boors inside
the home-circle. If a stranger offers
the slightest service, he is gratefnlly
thanked ; bnt whoever remembers to
thus reward the little tireless feet that
are traveling all day long np-stairs and
down on countless errands for some
body ? It wonld le policy for parents
to treat their children politely for the
sake of obtaining more cheerful obedi
ence, if for no other reason. The cost
less use of an "If you please," and "I
thank you," now and then, will go far
to lighten an otherwise bnrdensome
task. Say to your son, "John, shut
that door," and with a scowl, he will
move slowly towards it, and sbnt it with
a bang. Tbe next time say, "John will
yoa shot the door, please?" and he
will hasten with a pleasant smile to do
your bidding.
Tub Child's Pocket Enquirr.
1. Always say, yes, sir ; no, sir; yes.
papa; no, thank yoa ; good-night, good
morning. Never say "how" or "which"
for what. Use no slang terms. Re
member that good spelling, writing,
and grammar are the base of all true
education.
2. Clean faces, clean clothes, clean
shoes and clean finger nails indicate
good breeding. Never leave your
clothes abont the room. Have a place
for everything and everything in its
place.
3. Rap before entering a room ; leave
it with yonr face to the company.
Never enter a private room or public
place with yonr hat on.
4. Always offer yonr seat to a lady
or old gentleman. Let your companions
enter the carriage or room first.
At the table eat with your fork ;
sit np straight, never use your tooth
pick, althongh some people do ; and,
when leaving, asked to be excused.
fi. Never put your feet on cushions,
chairs, or tables.
7. Never overlook any one when
reading or writirg, or talk or read aloud
when others are reading. When con
versing, listen attentively, and do not
interrupt or reply till the other has
finished. Ismdon S. S. Timrx.
Tub Cpilkrf.x or tits Arabs. The
mothers aud fathers in Arabia make a
great difference between their sons ami j
laughters. They think it a dreadful
thing for a little girl to presume to
come into the world, and often hurry
her out of it without mnch ceremony.
Some years ago it was common through
out tbe country to offer np female
children as a sacrifice ; bnt in later
years it ia done as a matter of economy
and the poor little creatures are some
times buried alive and sometimes
thrown into the sea. When a little
girl is born the mother cries as if her
heart would break, and all her neigh-
V 1 .1. : 1 1. 1 :
wis hr nj uiuakUJAC wiui tier nils-
(oliaw Tu proverbs
bont the J. The threshold
-- j. - - n
ZH"J??E. WL7 ' l?h
to send women before to tbe other
wor,d ,
When a bov i horn thr. am at
rejoicings ; friends and neighbors call
1 . 1 - 4 , ,
! r K .
" "V ty i,?ii?4i0" hu""?:
! rXPre98in
naPPlne8 .
Dkwdbops at night are diamonds at
morn ; so the tears we weep here may
be pearls in heaven.
"Chaos" is the name of tbe fashiona
ble new color. -
YtKIEriES.
The soliloquy of Hamlet contains 79
Anjlo-Saxon wcrd-v.
A noted architect when asked "what
was the best system of ventilation ?" re
plied : "Fireplaces in every room.
The women of Ceylon were greatly
shocked a short time back at seeing an
English lady traveler wearing a tortoise
shell back comb. In that quarter of
the globe the article is worn only by
men.
The first three men in the-world were
a gardener, a ploughman, and a grazier ;
and if any man object that the second
of these was a murderer, I desire he
would consider that as soon as he was
so, he quitted oar profeseion and
turned builder. Cowley.
Tennyson's temper isn't so smooth as
his poetry. He ordered a new house
built at Hazlemete some time ago.
The house was put np by an architect
of great accomplishments, but the poet
laureate didn't like it. and went back
in a huff to his old residence in the Isle
of Wight,
They say now that when young
ladies describe a thing as "perfectly
beautiful," they merely imitate William
Pitt, who once used the expression in
a dispatch. This attempt to deprive
women to all claim to originality is
abominable ; they will say next that
Adam ate the first apple.
Professor S -hievelmann has jnst fin
ished the model of a group which is to
t executed in bronze and placed in the
"Lust Girten" in Berlin. It represents
a nver god shielding a neried agaiust
a pursuer, and the contrast between
tbe rough muscular god, and the tender
yonthfnl virgin is said to be exqui
sitely developed.
At Ostia is an old tower and fort that
were built nnder the ptpacies of Sextn9
IV. and Julius II. Litoly thev have
found aronnd the tower ninety-five can
non balls, buried deep in the earth.
In the middle ages, and for some years
after. Ostia was the scene of many
bloody combats. These projectiles be
long probably to that epoch.
Among tlio discoveries made in the
Villa Palombara, near Rome, are a head
of Venn, of artistic workmanship and
in excellent presiTv.it ion; and a Mercury
with cadiicens, and some bronze vases
and sculptures in marble. At Ripetta,
an ancient port of the Tiber, there have
also been discovered a column of mot
tled alabastar and a large sarcophagus
of marble, with genii in relief and in
scriptions ; and in the Villa Babn;no
some remains of wails and mosaic pave
ment. The oldest tailor in the world has
just died in P.iris. He w.is lifJ yeara
of age. He was called Father Fipps.
He began his trade at nine ye irs of age,
and continued at it until his linndredth
year I He worked for ninety-one years!
Three months ago he made a pair of
pantaloons for his youngest great-great
grandchild. It took him a fortnight.
"And to think," he said, "that once
npon a time I could make a pair in a
half a day !"
Corvin, of Dresden, manufactures an
elegant imitation of marble for archi
tectural purposes by impregnating sand
stone with silicic acid and alnmina. In
Nanndorf stones are prepared thus
which are intensely white, transparent
and capable of taking a fine polish.
By the introduction of suitable pig
ments in the impregnating mass any
desired color is produced. It is said
that the cost is much less than that of
real marble, while the imitation resists
heat better.
The Duke of Edinburgh's baby has
jnst received a present of a cradle in
silver filigree, lined with pink silk, pink
curtains, covered with white lace, held
np by an elegantly chiselled po!, with
a charming baby-face looking out from
a knot of pink ribbons. Princess Iteat
rice has worked a quilt of white satin
for this beautiful cradle, and embroid
ered the same with roses, so natural as
almost to deceive the eye. And yet the
little thing cries and needs just as much
soothing syrup as other babies.
A writer in the Pari Oanloi dwells
at great length over the change in Stras
bourg since the annexation. The Alsa
tians keep entirely aloof from the Ger
mans, and won't be seen with them in
public. In proof of what he advances,
he adds the following postscript : "I
forgot to say that the German theatre
is so little frequented that the manager
is often obliged to put out the gas, and
return the money taken at the doors.
On the other hand, a French rJr. ron
rr.rt is crammed nightly, ami I pro
longed my stay twenty-four hours in
order te go there."
One of tbe services which the signal
offices proposes to render the country
is the study of seatempatare ia connec
tion with the habits aud migration of
fishes. This subject now engages earn
est attention in England and Scotland,
as well as in tbe United States. It has
been suggested that the movement of
fishes have a definite relation to sea
temperatures and the weather, ami for
two years the herring fisheries have
been carefully studied by Mr. Cnchaa
to determine this relation. If these ef
forts are successful, the signal office
may he able to add the direction of the
fisheries to its other holds of useful
ness. From careful experiment. Dr. Rich
ardson concludes that since the red
blood globules of the pig, or red deer,
cat, horse, sheep and goat "are all so
mnch smaller than are the ordinary
minimum Bize of the human red disc,
as compnted in my investigation we
are now able, by aid of high powers of
microscope and under favorable eircn ra
ti ta rices, positively to distinguish stains
produced by human blood from those
caused by the blood of any one of the
animals just enumerated ; and this even
after a lapse of five years, at least, from
the date of their primary production."
This will be important in criminal trials.
Ijindnn Knijint rr,
The method fir making joints to
unite tbe sides of boxes, tc, has been
recently patented in England. The
two pieces of wood to be fastened to
gether are first mitred in the nsnal man
ner, and a bole is then drilled vertically
in each piece, from the bottom upwards,
at a short distance from the nirad
edge. A channel or groove is then cut,
by a saw or otherwise, from the mitred
edge to the drilled hole. This channel
is of a less width than the diameter of
the hole, and may be cut either paral
lel to tbe sides of the piece of wood, or
at right angles to the mitre edge, so
that when the two pieces of wood are
put together a eon tin nous channel shall
be formed between the two holes. The
two pieces are then held tightly to
gether, and a key is formed by running
metal such as lead or fusible metal
into the channel, by this means the key
is cast m the place which it is to oc
cupy. The key may also be made sep
arately, of solid metal, and driven home
into the channel.
1