liiitfet
lii
B. F. SCHWEIER,
THB CeSSTITUTIOS THE TNION AND THE IXFOECEMEXT OF THE LAW3.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XXIX.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, FENNA., JANUARY 20, 1S75.
NO. 3.
POET IT.
sua wrn
FT XART . Of! -MAX
Jean wept ! O Barred tears,
(listening through the mist of yean;
Not for those whom we call dad.
Were those holy tear-drops abed;
Not fur those who're paused away
To the realms of cloudiest day.
Bat for us, who linger here.
Bending o'er a pall-clad bier.
For the lone who watch and wait,
By the hearthstone, desolate.
For the feet that ne'er will come,
Tbo' the weary day be done.
Jeans wept ! The Lord of glory.
He the undefined, the holy.
Marked our sorrows, doubts, and fears.
Passing through this rale of tears
Where each human heart must know
All the bitterness of wos.
8sered chrism ! thus consecrate
For the sad and desolate.
For the sister, brotherless.
For the child, all motherless.
Many a grief hath calmer slept
Rinre the son of Mary wept.
Oh. ye tears ! no jewels rare
Besting on a brow most fair;
Not the lustrous orient gem
In a monarch's diadem
Shall their pristine brightness keep
When the eye hath learned to weep.
Backward, through the ages past.
Many a longing look is east.
To the spot where Lazarus slept.
Where the Son of Glory wept;
There would I submissire bend.
Find a sympathizing friend.
Hacred be that holy shrine.
Hoary with the touch of time;
llany a pilgrim there shall rest
With his cross hid in his breast,
ReTerent bow and kiss the sod,
Malted by the tear of God.
TEAKS.
BT HAS. M. P. Iim
Is it rainy, little flower ?
Be glad of rain.
Too much sun would wither thee ;
Twill shine again.
The clouds are Tery black, 'tis true;
But just behind them smiles the blue.
Art thou weary-, tender heart ?
Be glad of pain.
In sorrow sweetest things will grow.
As flowers in rain.
God watches, and thou wilt have sun
When clouds their perfect work have done.
IM'KLLttT.'
A Love Adveatare.
The following sensational tale is told
by that most inveterate of gossips,
Katinka. The dramatit pertonte,
though mentioned in blank, are well
known in society : "Who wonld ever
have supposed the loss of one's curls
wonld be the means of finding a hus
band 7 Such, improvable as it may
appear, has been the case of M. de V .
At the end of May last, she went with
her parents to Dieppe to pass the sum
mer, and one rainy day, she started
with her waiting maid to visit a friend
in a narrow bnt usually crowded street.
It was so narrow, in fact, that the per
sons passing through it got their um
brellas entangled with each other, and
it so happened that a gentleman bnng
lingly got his fastened in one of Miss
de V ' curls. The young girl did
her best to disengage herself, all the
while, of course, blushing, frowning
and smiling, whilst the owner of the
umbrella, a .handsome young man,
seemed to be busily engaged in helping
her, but, in reality, he protracted the
operation as long as possible through
admiration for the beauty whom good
luck and bad weather had thrown in his
way. Several minutes were passed in
these efforts, when suddenly the curls
gave way, and immediately after they
were dangling at the extremity of the
umbrella. The young man remained
motionless in astonishment, while the
poor girl hastened away shocked, vexed
and inwardly vowing never more to
wear false hair. In a few hours after
wards ahe had entirely forgotten the
adventure; but the young gentleman
whom she had entangled could not so
easily chase her from his memory, and
be could not rest quiet until he dis
covered who she was. He one day met
the waiting-maid and bribed her to tell
him her name. To his great satisfac
tion be found that he was acquainted
with her father. He immediately called
upon this gentleman, and was intro
duced to the young girl, who blushed
deeply, but feigned not to recognize
him. He contrived to render himself
so agreeable to her parents that they
received him as an intimate visitor of
the family. His admiration for Miss
de V , I need not say, soon ripened
into ardent love, and as he was not only
good-looking but also intelligent and
wealthy. Miss de V speedily forgot
the contretempt of their first interview,
and engaged herself to him, with the
approbation of her parents. They are
to be married this month.
A RoinaaticA Diair.
No novelist ever imagined a marriage
concluded under more eccentric cir
cumstances than that of Comte de D
with Miss de V . The future
Comtesse, who is one of the best sports
women of France, happened in the be
ginning of the summer season to be
present with her father at the raoea of
D . Her attention was here attracted
by small pony, which she found to be
remarkably beautiful, and which she
asked her father to purchase. Mr de
V is immensely rich, and he adores
his daughter. Consequently be at once
called with her on the owner of the
pony the Comte de D , who received
them in the most graceful manner, bnt
firmly refused to sell his horse. How
ever, as de V was trying to change
his resolution he added, looking at the
beautiful Amazon, "I have sworn that
my horse shall belong to no one but my
wife." Need I add that Miss de V
soon found out that the Comte was
endowed with other qualities than of a
remarkable sportsman, and that their
marriage is to be celebrated very soon.
American Jiegitter.
A Capricious Cat.
A clergyman's cat at West Springfield
has shown some remarkable symptoms
of natural depravity. After giving
birth to seven kittens recently, of
various colors, she removed the two
blackest from the group and utterly
refused to take any notice of them, ro
sooner were they restored to her nest
than she again aud again ejected them,
and death finally relieved the little
waifs. And this in defiance to the
fifteenth amendment, which declares
there shall be no distinction on account
of color ! No other than a Massachusetts
rat would have dared to thus offend
the majesty of the law.
The epicures of Boston disposed of
three millions of frogs last season.
LEOXE'S ROJIAXCE.
"Mark my words, Leone. Ton will
never find your beau ideal your esti
mate of man is too high."
"No, Arthur, it is but a moderate
estimate and you have no right to judge
me harshly because I will not throw my
life away upon some society man of to
day. I am young yet but twenty, yon
know and there is time enough.
"Yes, time enough, Leone ; but I
agree with Arthur, that you have too
high a standard of manhood, a roman
tic, school girl admiration of qualities
that few, if any, possess."
"Complimentary, very, to yonr hus-
Dano, sis ; Dot i wish, lor my husband,
strength either of body or souL mind
far above the average, and determina
tion and purpose sufficient to raise
himself above the level of the common
herd : and, mark me. if I never find
such a one, I will ever remain Leone
Lightfoot an old maid, fond of tea.
cats and gossip ; but I see Charles has
brought my horse around so au
revotr :
The speaker was a woman of twenty,
queenly in form, and whose face.
though possessing character beyond
ner years, was radiant with loveliness.
Robed in a dark blue riding habit.
which clung gracefully around her
superb form and the face ball shaded
by the drooping plumes falling from
her jaunty cap, Leone Lightfoot was
indeed what she appeared a surpassing
toveiy woman ; one wno naa visitors oy
the score, for she was rich aa well as
accomplished and beautiful.
Three years before she had been left,
by the death of her parents, under the
guardianship of her only brother, some
ten years her senior, and at his elegant
country seat she had lived the idol of
society, the pet of Arthur Lightfoot
and his pretty little wife.
Between the three Arthur Lightfoot,
Leone and Mrs. Lightfoot was the
conversation held that opens this story,
and the cause thereof was the refusal
by Leone of the heart, hand and for
tune of a worthy bachelor neighbor.
"She is incorrigible. The old Judge
would have made her a good husband,
said Arthur Lightfoot to his wife, after
they had seen Leone mount and dash
away at full speed down the grand
avenue.
"Yes, shell never marry, I fear,"
sighed Mrs. Lightfoot, who always
echoed the sentiments of her husband.
In the meantime, Leone rode on at a
pace that chimed in with her humor,
and an elegant horsewoman, she held
her steed well in hand, and enjoyed the
springing, fleet motion, aa mile after
mile was cast behind.
Bnt suddenly her horse shied vio
lently and gave a tremendous leap,
almost unseating his fair rider, who
however, recovering herself quickly,
spoke soothingly to the frightened
animal, and glanced backward to note
the object that had so startled him.
The color fled from her face as her
eyes fell upon the form of a man lying
by the roadside, apparently lifeless ;
bnt nerving herself by a hard drawn
sigh, the brave girl sprang to the ground
and approached the spot, glancing in
tently down into the pale, upturned
face.
The features were moulded with re
markable regularity, the partly opened
mouth displayed even white teeth, and
and the dark brown hair and moustache
presented a marked contrast to the
white face, from which every tinge of
color had faded. Dressed in a light
summer suit, Leone even then discov
ered it was well and stylishly made.
wmie we gauntlet gloves ana nuing
whip proved that the stranger had been
on horseback.
"He has been thrown, doubtless ;
but Ood grant he be not dead I" ex
claimed the maiden, as she knelt beside
the prostrate form, and drew aside the
coat to place her hand upon his heart
With a err of terror she sprang to
her feet, her hand stained with blood,
for from bis side a small stream welled
np slowly.
"He is dead, and has been mur
dered"
"No."
It was almost a whisper, and the
heavy lids raised from the dark eyes
eyes filled with anguish, but yet
strangely dark and fascinating.
"Thank God. there is yet hope I Be
quiet, sir, I implore you, and I will aid
you all in my power ! exclaimed Leone,
and, drawing her habit around her, she
ran rapidly a few paces down the road
to where it was crossed by a small
stream, and, saturating her handker
chief, returned and without hesitation
drew aside the clothing and placed it
noon the wound a small bullet wound
in the left aide over the heart.
"Ton must keep perfectly quiet, and
I will soon return," ahe said softly,
hardly knowing whether she was heard
or not, and then in an instant sbe wss
in her saddle, hasting at her utmost
speed toward the nearest farm house.
Dashing like wind np to the door, and
startling quiet farmer Jessop and his
family nearly ont 01 weir wits, ieone
cried :
"Mr. Jessop, let your son ride at once
to Dr. Wells, and tell him a gentleman
lies dangerously wounded on the road,
near Hillside Spring. Tell him to come
at once : and von. Mr. Jessop, please
come on with your carriage, and bring
all mat you uuu neotorj.
Every one in the country knew and
loved Leone Lightfoot, and rapidly her
orders were obeyed, which observing,
she wheeled her foaming horse and
again sped away on her return to the
wounded stranger.
There he lay, just as she had left
him, bnt groaning slightly, and each
instant dampening the blood-stained
handkerchief, the heroic girl awaited
the coming of the surgeon.
Would they ever come ? she thought;
but at length, when it seemed hours
instead of minutes, the sound of wheels
broke on her ear, and the next instant
the surgeon drove up at a rapid rate.
"You are a noble woman Miss Light
foot, and if this gentleman lives, he
will owe his life to von," said the good
old physician, as he approached and
knelt beside the prostrate form.
"But will he live, doctor T"
For some time no answer was given
by the man of science, who carefully
probed and examined the wound, but
then said slowly
"It is a serious injury ha I here 1
have the ball! yes, I hope he will live;
and Dr. Wells took from the wound a
small bullet, while he continued "Aow
he will require the most careful nurs-
"He shall have it Thank God, here
comes Mr. Jessop," and immediately
after the carriage drove up, and telling
h. Anr tn mm on with the wounded
stranger to her brother's house, Leone
again mounted ner nonw
to have all in readiness for his arrival.
It was weeks before the stranger was
sufficiently recovered to toll his story
regarding the wound that had so nearly
proven fatal to him, and then, by care
ful nursing, he was enabled to commu
nicate to Leone, who had been untiring
in her devoted care of him, that his
name was Clarence Ainslie was an
Englishman, who. nearly a Tear before.
had come to America, and purchasing
a lew acres of land in the west, made it
bis home.
He also stated that business called
him north, and while enjoying a horse
back ride, he had been suddenly fired
upon, was thrown to the ground, and
had an indistinct remembrance that
some one was robbing him, for his
watch, pocket-book and all valnables
he had about him were gone.
That Clarence Ainslie was no ordi
nary man Leone Lightfoot knew when
she first saw him Iving br the roadside.
but that he would ever possess the
power to control her life she had not
believed.
But so it was, for each day proved to
her that she had met her beau ideal ;
and yet was he for her ? Might he not
already have loved ? Might he not
already be married 7
The thought chilled her very heart ;
and yet, when she saw the dark, fasci
nating eye, turned upon her in admira
tion, and read (she hoped she did)
therein a deeper, holier feeling, Leone
felt happy, and. longed to be a very
slave, and become a mere automation
to the caprice of Clarence Ainslie.
Now, Arthur Lightfoot and his pretty
wife looked upon the matter in a differ
ent light, for, though hospitable in the
extreme to the stranger guest, they re
garded him as a poor English emigrant,
a petty western farmer, and did not like
the idea that he should wholly control
the heart of Leone, for they were not
blind to her devotion to the wounded
Still they could not but admire the
courteous manner of their stranger
guest when, after six weeks, he was
sufficiently recovered to be able to join
them in the parlor and at dinner.
That he had been reared a gentleman
was evident, snd that he had traveled
and seen something of the world was
also evident, as was also the fact that
Mr. and Mrs. Lightfoot had never seen
a handsomer man they were compelled
to admit ; but that Leone, the belle,
the heiress, the most lovely woman of
the day, should love a poor, unknown
Englishman bah ! the thought even
was ridiculous.
When the trunk of Clarence Ainslie
arrived (for he had sent for it as soon
as he was able to speak) Mrs. Lightfoot
paced around it for half an hour in the
vain endeavor to find something plebian
about it, but the trunk was a good one,
English make, and bore on it simply
the letters "C. A., England."
With a disappointed look the inquisi
tive little woman ordered it to be sent
to the sick man's room, and then sought
her own chamber.
"Arthur, Leone really loves that
wounded man, and what will become of
it all ?"
"It is Leone's romance, little wife.
She will recover from it A few tears
at parting ; hard riding for her poor
horse ; a few sentimental songs, and it
will all be over."
"But, Arthur, suppose it should not
be. Suppose he should love her for
you know he is poor and she is rich
wnat then 7
"Well, he cannot have her, that's
all," and then Arthur Lightfoot went
out for a drive.
At length the hour came for Clarence
Ainslie to depart, for no longer could
he impose npon the kindness of his
host and hostess, and being determined
to leave that evening, he asked to see
Leone alone.
With pale face but quiet manner, the
young girl entered the room, and,
stepping forward, Clarence Ainslie said
feelingly :
"Miss Lightfoot no longer can I im
pose upon yonr kindness, and to-night
I leave you. Shall it be forever I" No
answer came, and the Englishman con
tinued :
"To von I owe mv life, and to you I
wonld dedicate the years that yet re
main. I am unknown to you a stranger
in a strange land and you have but my
word for it that I offer you a love that
was never offered to woman before a
hand and heart that has never sinned
intentionally against a fellow-being.
Will you accept what I have to offer ?"
A Will.
"You will trust me ; take me as I am,
and become my wife ?"
"I wilL"
No other word was spoken, but two
hearts were perfectly happy.
Of course Arthur Lightfoot and his
wife objected and decidedly refused,
but Leone was determined. It was no
romance with her, and when she flatly
told them she would marry Clarence
without their consent, they made a
virtue of necessity, and gave it, con
soling themselves with the thought that
after all his being a stranger and a poor
man was really the only faults they
could find in him.
At the request of the parties most
ntornetAil it was a nniet weddinff. inst
six months after the meeting of the
lovers, and Dr. Wells' and farmer Jes
sop's family only were invited, and to
this day the good old lady has not
uauul trt gmnin ahnnt the mairnificent
trosseau the bride had, and the quiet
happiness that shone in tne eyes oi ine
young couple.
It had been decided that the bridal
tour should be to Europe, as Clarence
Ainslie said that business wouia can
him (kmi win ami Mr. and Mrs.
Lightfoot had been persuaded to ac
company them ; so the day after the
wedding, the steamer wmcn naa leit
New York, bore a happy quartette from
the land of free America.
imn'n. mtaIv in England, a few
iuiiiuiQ J "p ,
days were passed quietly at the hotel,
and then, by an invitation from Clar
ence Ainslie, the party started out 'to
visit the spot where he had passed his
boyhood days.
Thro' meadow lands and lovely coun
try the carriage drove, until suddenly
(ahn was driwino-1 wheeled
into a grand gateway leading to the
superb country seat oi some man ui
wealth.
A few moments more, and the car
riage drew np before the marble steps
of an elegant mansion one of those old
rambling structures often found in
England and. springing lightly to the
ground, the Englishman said, while a
merry light twinkled in his eye :
'Leone, I welcome you to your home.
Mr. and Mrs. Lightfoot, Lord Clarence
Ainslie begs that yon will accept the
hospitality of Ainslie Castle."
Tears filled the beautiful eyes of
Leone. Arthur Lightfoot 's cheek col
ored, bnt he was silent, while, after a
second's hesitation, his wife exclaimed :
"Clarence Ainslie, you are a cheat !
Why, I thought you were a Western
farmer "
"That was all the land I owned in
America. I purchased it and built a
shooting box thereon, beaause I was
fond of your Western snorts, and in
America I was simply Mr. Ainslie
here I am Lord Clarence, of A inlic
L'asfle. Am I forgiven ?" -
Reader, we have too much hnman
nature, now a days, for a moment to
suppose the deception practiced was
not pardoned by one and au ; in fact.
Mrs. Lightfoot says she likes to be
deceived, and, in this case, Arthur
echoes the opinion of his wife. And
"all's well that ends well."
Mea We Dos't Wsal Ta Meet.
The man who grunts aud gasps as he
gobbles up his soup, and at every other
mouthful seems threatened with a chok
ing fit
The man who, having by an accident
been thrown once in your company,
makes bold to bawl your name ont, and
to shake your hand profusely when you
pass him in the street
The man who, pleading old school
fellowship, which you have quiet for
gotten, never meets you without trying
to extort a five pound note.
The man who volunteers his criti
cism on your new play or picture, snd
points out its worst faults in presence
of your wife.
The man who artfully provokes you
to play a game of billiards with him,
and, though he feigos to be a novice,
produces his own tsbalk.
The man who can't sit at your table
on any set occasion without getting ou
his legs to propose some stupid toast.
The man who, thinking you are musi
cal, bores yon with his notions on the
music of the future, of which you know
as little as the music of the spheres I
The man who wears a white hat in
the winter, and smokes a pipe when
walking, and accosts yon as "old fel
low" just as you are hoping to make a
good impression on some well-dressed
lady friends.
The man who knowing that yonr
doctor faces him at the table, turns the
talk so aa to set him talking doctor's
shop.
The man who, with a look of urgent
business when you are in a hurry, takes
you by the button-hole to tell yon a bad
joke.
The man who, sitting jnst behind yon
at the opera, destroys half your enjoy
ment by humming all the airs.
The man who makes remarks on your
personal adornment, asks you where
you buy your waist-coats, and what you
paid for yonr dress-boots.
The man who lards his talk with lit
tle scraps of French and German after
his return from a Continental tour.
The man who spoils your pleasure
in seeing s new play by applauding in
wrong places, and muttering in stage
whispers his comments on the plot
And, to finish with, the man who,
when you draw back slightly to appre
ciate a picture, coolly comes and stands
in front of you, and then receding, also
treads npon your toes. Punch.
How to Build ap a Place.
There can hardly be a greater sign of
prosperity in a community than a dis
position to help one another lift a
little when a neighbor's wheel gets
stuck in the mud.
We know of a place where a man's
barn with all his winter's stores of grain
and hay were consumed by fire in the
night. Immediately all the men of the
country side mustered aud hauled up
timber for a new barn, and then a big
raising came off. After that the sound
of twenty or more hammers were heard
until the whole was shingled aud sided.
Bat their deed of kindness was not done
yet ; one after another offered to take a
head of his stock and winter them for
him, thus greatly reducing his loss and
assuring his heart of the more durable
riches of brotherly love and neighborly
good wilL No one can compute in
money the valne of one such example
of noble liberality in a community, es
pecially in its influence upon the young.
When this spirit prevails there is sure
to be progress in a place even if all the
improvements are in their infancy. Peo
ple will come and settle in a place which
bears such a good name. Now, if you
desire to see your place growing popu
lar, do what vou can to show yourself
a good neighbor, especially to those
who need a little extra help.
If a man starts a tin-shop or a black
smith's shop in your place don't harness
up and drive five miles to buy your
pans and get your horses shod, just be
cause you have been in the habit of
doing it Patronize the new comer
when you want anything done in his
line. Speak encouragingly to him and
well of him to your neighbors. Little
words of approval or censure go a long
way, and when once you have spoken
them you cannot call them back.
Help the sick, especially if they are
poor, for poverty and illness are indeed
a heavy burden. Perform all acts of
loving charity which fall day by day in
yonr path, remembering who it is that
has said, "Ye shall in no wise lose yonr
reward.
Tf ore Mpirita.
And now the strange happenings have
begun to exhibitid themselves in an
other Vermont village, if we are to be
lieve the North Pownal correspondent
of the Troy Pre: The story, however,
is so strange, and it has such a suspi
cious look, that we would advise our
readers not to place that implicit faith
in its statements which they would bad
they witnessed the phenomenon them
selves. The following is the story. We
give it for what it is worth : "Pownal
is at present vety much excited about a
supernatural phenomenon. For about
five weeks stones have been falling on
farmer P.'s house and other buildings.
It can be accounted for in no natural
way, and it is supposed to be the work
of spirits. They are falling both night
and day, but are most plentiful at night
Crowds of people are there every day
to witness this wonderful phenomenon.
It has only been known by outsiders a
few days, as the farmer and his family
tried to keep it a secret The stones
are mostly small, from the size of an
egg to four or five inches is diameter,
and strike the house with great velocity,
so as to tear nearly through the shingles
or clap-boards. Sometimes they strike
the roof near the eaves, and then slowly
climb up the roof over the peak and roll
off the other side. On Thursday after
noon a stone weighing over twenty
pounds fell into the yard and indented
itself in the hard froaen earth over
three inches. Several strong men tried
to throw the stone on the ground to
make a like indentation, bnt they could
hardly make an impression ou the
frozen ground. The house is situntej
about thirty rods from the village."
Idols for the Japanese markets are
now manufactured at Sheffield, England
including a fine bronze statue with six
arms.
Old Children.
A complaint often made by close ob
servers of human nature is that there
are no more children ; they are all ma
tured into middle-aged people. The
complaint has been pictorially illustra
ted very well by Punch, who has given
us the wise, blaie, and fashionable
young-old little people in great variety.
Charles Augustus, aged 8, is represen
ted as speaking in languid terms of the
latest favorite actress, and saying to
his companion, aged i ; "ion should
have seen Ellen Tree ;" and the juven
ile politician of Belgravia is depicted
with his infantile brow knitted, while
he speaks of Disraeli as "a muff." Our
own reports of fashionable life occa
sionally give us glimpses of children's
parties, where the little girls wear point
lace and dance the German, and the
boys appear in evening dress and flirt
desperately. On the whole, we do not
wonder that sentimental people dole
fully declare that there are no more
children. Here and there is well-ordered
and happy homes, may be yoncg
folks who have not exhausted life at
the age of ten years, to whom the pan
tomime is a rare treat, aud for whom
Parisian bonbons still have a breathless
charm. We are glad to believe that
there are some sensible parents who try
to keep a few sweets of life for the grat
ideation of the young ones when they
shall be older than they are now. But
it is nevertheless true that childlike
children are comparatively few. We
have plenty of unfortunates who are re
quired to "act like ladies," or "walk
like little gentleman ;" but the brood
of hearty children is so small that a
child-loving visitor grows sorrowful in
the midst of the 8 id little manikins of
the present age.
This holiday season, with its bright
show of gilts for the young, very strik
ingly illustrates the disappearance of
the children. The boys are taught en
gineering, architecture, and mathemat
ics, by means of what are called "phil
osophical toys." His box of blocks is
no lougei a thing of childish delight ;
it brings him the binomial theorem or
a model of the Parthenon He does
not sail a shiugle built sloop in the
pond ; he stands with languid pride on
the bank while his toy side wheel
steamer is propelled over the mimic
wave on purely scientific-principles.
He cannot whittle ont a wind mill or
construct a jck-o'-Ian tern, but he can
make a drawing-room bow and speak
some execrable French His little sis
ter, who is proud of wearing a wider
sash than her next-door infant neigh
bor despises rag-babies and the
toys of the past generation. Her dolls
for dolls she hai are ball-room
belles, dres-ted in the height of fash-1
ion. or they are models of the latest !
style of walkiug and carriage dress, i
The miraculous inventions of the doll '
that said 'ppa" and "mamma no
longer thrills onr child-world. Dolls
that walk, dolls that waltz with male
dolls, and dolls that wear eye-glasses
and a certain high-bred hauteur, are
most numerous in the market Nay,
having portrayed through these pup
pets all the mystery of life, the purvey
ors for the children have been produced
widow dolls, and the curious visitor to
the toy shops may fiud a rosy waxen
image clad in all the luxury of woe,
with widow's weeds and grief shadowed
handkerchief, and personifying to the
unhappy little possessor that subdued
elation which some people think should
bloom beneath the widow's cap. From
the cradle to the grave these young
old chicken deceive these quick im
pressions. They absorb the whole
mvstery of life before they are 10 years
old. The little girl who glorifies bits
of broken crockery into the finest china
service, or auimates her rag-baby with
a real soul, is wronged when Sevres and
a "widow" doll are put into ber hands.
Give the young folks the old-fashioned
toys that may perish with the using and
make nobody bankrupt Let the little
ones romp and tear their clothes ; it is
a thousand-fold better than "deport
ment" and fashionable attire. In spite
of the unnatural depression of parents,
child nature will try to make its way.
The curled darlings who mope and pine
in drawing-room and parlor, are pre
maturely unhappy, as well as prema
turely old. Sorrow and disappoint
ment come soon enough ; let us keep
our children young and gay while we
can.
JleauiuriDg by Sound.
An instrument for measuring distan
ces by sound hss been invented recently
by Major de Boulenge, of the Belgian
army. It consists of a glass tube hav
ing graduations along its length repre
senting distances measured. The tube
is closed at its extremities, and is filled
with liquid in which is a metallic trav
eler, formed of two disks united by a
central rod. The diameter of the disks
is a little less than that of the tube, so
that when the latter is vertical the trav
eler will descend with a slow and uni
form motion. Knowing the velocity
of sound and that of travel, it is easy
to construct the distance scale. In op
eration, the edge of one disk is brought
to the 0 mark, and the instrument be
ing held horizontally, the flash of the
cannon, for example, is noted ; at that
instant the telemeter is turned to a ver
tical position, and so held, the traveler,
of course, descending meanwhile, until
the sonnd is heard, when it is again
brought horizontally. The position of
the traveler denotes the distance to be
read on the scale. It is stated that,
during the course of official experiments
at the Belgian artillery school, the in
strument, in estimating distance of
3,200 yards, did not make over twenty-
one yards of error.
A Blush.
What is there more mysterious than
a blush, that a siDgle word or look or
thought should send that inimitable
carnation over the cheek like the soft
tints of the summer sunset ? Strange
it is, also, that the face is capable of
blushing, that the hand or foot does
not turn red with modesty or shame
any more than the glove or sock that
covers them. It is the face that is in
heaven. The blush of tuodesty that
woman's face when ahe awoke in Eden's
sunny laud stiU lingers with her fair
daughter. They caught it from the
rose, for all roses were first white ; but
when Eve plucked one, the bud seeing
her own fair face more fair than the
flowers blushed and cast its reflec
tion on her velvet cheeks.
The face is the tablet oi tie sonl
wherein it writes its actions. There
may be traced all the intellectual phe
nomena with a confidence amounting
to a moral certainty. If innocence and
pnrity look outward from within none
the lees do vice, iutemperance, and
debauchery make their indelible im
pressions upon it Idiocy, rage, cow
ardice and passion leave deeper marks
even than the virtues of modesty,
truth, chastity and hope. Even beauty
grows more beautiful from the pure
thoughts that arise within it
How a Lad Wheeled IIim-ir
lato Forlaae aid Influence.
At s meeting of the stockholders of a
prominent railway corporation, recently held
in Boston, there was present two gentlemen.
both np in years, one, however, consider
ably the seniur of the other. In talking of
the old times gone by, the younger gentle
man called the attention of bis frien ls and
told a pleasant little story, which should be
read by every poor, industrious, and striv
ing lad. W e use bis own language:
"Nearly half a century ago, gentlemen, I
was put unon the world to make my living.
I was stout, willing, and able, considering
my tender years, and secured a place in a
hardware store, to do all sorts of chores
required. I was paid if 75 per year for my
services. One day, after I had been at work
three months or more, my friend there, Mr.
., who holds bis age remarkably well.
came into the store and bought a large bill
of shovels and tongs, sadiron and pans,
buckets, scrapers, and scuttles, for he was
to be married next day, and was supplying
the household in advance, as was the groom's
custom in those days. The articles were
packed in the barrow, and made a load
sufficiently heavy for a young mule. But
more willing than able, I started off, proud
that I could move guch a mass on the wheel
barrow. I got on remarkably well until I
struck the mud road, now Seventh avenue,
leading to my friend B's house. There I
toiled and tugged, and tugged and toiled,
and could not budge i he load up the hill,
the wheel going its full half -diameter in the
mud every tim j would try to propel for-
ard. Finally a good-natured Irishman
passing by with a dray took my barrow.
self and all, on his vehicle, and in consider
ation of my promise to pay him a 'bit,'
landed me at my destination.
"1 counted the articles carefully as I
delivered them, and, with my empty barrow.
trudged my way back, whistling with glee
ovrr my triumph over difficulty. Some
weeks afterward I paid the Irishman the
'bit,' and never got it back from my em
ployers. (Mr. B., I am sure, would have
remunerated me but he never before heard
this story; so if he is inclined he can com
promise the debt by sending me a buxhrl of
his rare ripe peaches next fall.) but to the
moral. A merchant had witnessed niy
struggles and how xealously I labored to
deliver that loid of hardware: he even
watched me to the bouse and saw me count
each piece as I landed it in the doorway.
He sent for me the next day, akei my name
told me be had a reward for my industry, in
he shape of a iK clerkship in his estab
lishment. 1 accepted, and now, a'ter nearly
ha'f a century had passed. I look back aud
say I wheeled myself into all I own, for that
reward of perseverance was my grand step
ping stone to fortune."
The speaker was a very wealthy banker,
a man of influence, of position, and one uni
versally respected for many good quulities
of head and heart, boys, take a moral
from this story. Vou do not know how
many eyes are upon you to discover whether
you are sluggish and careless or industrious
and willing, or how many there are who, if
you are moral and worthy, will give you a
stepping-stone to wealth and position.
Utile Truthful.
You've all read "Grimm's Fairy
Tales," or, if not, youll be pretty sure
to read them before you are much older.
They are very apt to" be found in Christ
mas stockings, and being the produc
tion of two German brothers, who know
well how to delight young folk, they
are always very welcome. Jack heard
the pretty schoolma'am one day repeat
to her out-door class a pretty story that
old Jacob Grimm, the brother who put
these stories in a book, tells about
one of his litttle readers.
He was told one fine morning that a
little girl wished to see him in his reception-room,
as she had something to
say to "llerr Professor."
Stepping down to the room, he found
a little miss, looking very grave and
very wise.
"is it thou," she said, "who hast
written these fine fairy tales ?"
"Yes, my dear ; my brother an 1 1
have written them."
"Then the tale of the clever little
tailor is thine ; and it says at the end
that he who will not believe it must pay
a thaler (a German dollar)."
"Yes, I have written that too."
"Well, sir, I do not believe it"
"Ah !"
"Here, sir, is a quarter of a thaler.
It is all I have now, but I will call and
leave the rest at some other time."
The kind old man laughed, and de
clined the quarter-thaler. He offered,
however, to see the honest little one
home, and I have no doubt that the two
became in time the best of friends.
St. Nicholas for January.
Sagacity ofthe Partridge.
An interesting instance of the sagacity
with which the partridge will protect
its young is given by Mr. Henshaw of
the Government Survey west of the one
hundredth meridian. While riding
through pine wood a brood of par
tridges containing the mother and eight
or ten young about a week old, was
come upon so suddenly that the feet of
the foremost mule almost trod on them.
The young rose, flew a few yards, ami
dropping down, were in an instant hid
in the uuderbrush. The mother mean
while began some very peculiar tactics.
Rising np, she fell back again to the
grouiid as if perfectly helpless, and
imitated the actions of a wounded bird
so successfully that for a moment it was
thought she had really been trodden
upon. Several of the men, completely
deceived, attempted to catch her, but
she fluttered away, keeping just out of
reach of their hauds nntil they had been
enticed ten to tweite yards oft when
she rose and was off like a bullet Her
tactics had successfully covered the re
treat oi her young.
The Principle OI Good Manners.
A writer in the Advance says : "The
giving of compliments, if it be at all
well done, is a very pleasant habit I
mean truthful, hearty compliments. If
you see a man doing excellent, don't be
afraid to tell him so ; with ordinary
good sense, and a regard fur the truth,
one need not fear becoming a flatterer,
or offensively fullsome. It is very
pleasant when we do well to sometimes
have onr well-doing recognized by
others. So, then, if you would be
agreeable, make the practice of seeing
the good in other people, and of some
times telling them that yon see it But
besides the positively pleasant things
by word or act, ninety-nine hundredths
of the unpleasant things that are said
and done are entirely unnecessary, and
if one does well only in a negative way
by invariably refraining from the
ninety-nine, he has made no small ad
vance in the art of being agreeable.
"Put yourself in his place," is a capi
tal motto, "Thou shalt love thy neigh
bor as thyself."
Dependeare.
Beware of a too sanguine dependence
npon future expectations ; the most
promising hopes are sometimen dashed
to pieces by the interference of some
uuforseen and unexpected accident.
What is that which ties two person.
but only touches one ? A wedding ring,
TOITHS' COLfsV.
Dos't rsAr Don't. Don't tell the
little one, who may be slightly willful,
that "the black man will come out of
the dark cellar and carry it off if it does
not mind." Don't create a needless
fear to go with the child through all
the stages of its existence.
Don't tell the! little five year old
Jimmy "the school ma'am will cut off
his ears "pull out his teeth "tie
him up or any of the horrible stories
that are commonly presented to the
childish imagination. Think you the
little one will believe anything you tell
him after he becomes acquainted with
the gentle teacher who has not the least
idea of putting those terrible threats
into execution ?
Don't tell the children they must not
drink tea because it will make them
black, while yon continue the use of it
daily. Your example is more to them
than precept ; and while your face is as
fair as a Juue morning they will scarcely
credit the oft-told tale. Either give up
drinking the pleasant beverage or give
your children a better reason for its
non use.
Don't tell them they must not eat
sugar or sweetmeats, because it will
rot their teeth. Pure sugar does not
cause the teeth to decay ; and sugar
with fruits is nutritious and healthy
notwithstanding the "old saw" to the
contrary. The case of city children
is often cited : the cause of their pale
faces and slight constitution being an
over amount of sweetmeats with their
diet when the actual cause is want of
pure air and proper exercise.
Don t tell the sick one that the medi
cine is not bad to take, when you can
hardly keep your own stomach from
turning "inside out" at the smell of it
lietter by far tell him the simple truth,
that it is disagreeable, but necessary
for his health, and you desire, him to
take it at once. Ten to one he will
swallow it with half the trouble of
coaxing and worry of words, and love
you better for your firm, decided man
ner.
Don't teach the children by example
to tell white lies to each other aud to
their neighbors. Ouard bps and bridle
your tongue if you desire to have the
coming generation truthful. Truthful
ness is one of the foundation stones of ;
heaven, llenieinber the old. old Book
says, "no liar" shall enter within the
gates of the beautiful city. There is
no distinction between white lies and
those of a darker hue. A falsehood is
an untruth whether the matter be great
or small.
The Coach and th Milestone.
"We travel far, and travel fast." said
the Coach one dav. to his wheels, stop
ping near an old Milestone by the side
of the road, calling to which it said,
ith a laugh. "Aren t yon tired of
always standing in one place ?"
"II you are not tired of running, why
shoulu I be of Btaying ?" answered the
old Milestone, gravely.
"Ah, but 1 am on two wheels, and
my duties require nimbleness, remarked
the Coach.
"Granttd ." leplied the Milestone,
"bnt I don't see there is so (treat a
difference between us, after alt Yon
would be as motionless as myself with
out your horses ; and aa to usefulness.
milestones have their duties as well as
have stage-coaches. If yours are to
carry passengers from place to place.
mine are to afford travelers information
their way ; besides, boast as you
may, 1 have sometimes heard of coaches
upsetting, and breaking down, and
wearing out, and being stopped and
rob be J ; but I never heard of such
things happening unto milestones.
therefore, friend, taking all into consid
eration, I fancy I am the safer if the
quieter of the two ; and if yon are happy
in running, 1 am content in staying
humble to do the duties of my station,
and perhaps as honorable as yourself,
although you are a Fast Coach, and
myself am but a poor Milestone on the
roaL"
All have their places in the world.
and duties to perform, and
'Tk r alao ritt-, that ouly itauil and wait.
The Tonoue. Nothing but the pro
boscis of an elephant compares in
muscular flexibility with the tongue.
It varies in length and size in reptiles.
birds and mammalia, according to the
peculiar organic circumstances of each.
A giraffe's tongue has the functions of
a linger. It is hooked over a high
branch, its strength being equal to
breaking off large, strong branches of
trees, from which tender leaves are
then stripped. An ant bear's tongue is
long and round, like a whiplash. The
animal tears open dry clay walls of ant
bills, thrusts in its tongue, which
sweeps around the apartments, and by
its adhesive saliva brings out a yard of
ants at a swoop. The mechanism by
which it is produced so far is both
complicated and beautiful. A dog's
tongue in lapping water takes a form
by mere act of volition that cannot be
imitated by an ingenious mechanician.
The hnman tongue in the articulation
of language surpasses in variety of
motions the wiluest imagination of a
poet Even in swallowing food its
office is so extraordinary that physiolo
gists cannot explain the phenomena of
deglutition without employing the aid
of several sciences.
Dos't Cbiticise Whatever you do,
never set up for a critic We don't
mean a newspaper one, but in private
life, in the domestic circle, in society,
it will not do any one any good, and it
will do you harm if you luiud being
called disagreeable. If you don't like
any one's nose, or object to any one's
chin, don't put your feelings into
words. If one's manner dos not please
you, remember your own. People are
not all made to suit one's taste ; recol
lect that Take things as you find
them, unless yon can alter them. Even
a dinner, after it is swallowed, can not : to a boil, and remove them three
be made any better. Continual fault- I minutes afterward. These seeds will
finding, continual criticism of the con- j grow finely after a large brush pile has
duct of this one and the speech of that ; been burned over them. These are
one, the dress of the other, and the facta occuring every year, to my per
opiuiona of t'other, will make home the , sonal knowledge.
nnhappiest place under the sua.
A litrK uoosb bTORT. Among a I
flock of geese, was a goose with three :
goslings, one of which had become
injured. In feeding, the goose with
the well goslings got separated fiom
the injured one, when the gander
walked np to her and by some means,
known only to the goose family, in-
duced her to go to the sick one.
Squatting by its side and slightly rais
ing her wings, she waited till the gan
der, with his bill, had very carefully
placed the gosling on her back, and
then she returned to her place of feed
ing. The great desert of Africa has nearly
the present dimensions of the United
States.
The prayer of an office-seeker "O
that I were an event that I might take
place
TIRHlTIKS.
A nod fellow Morpheus.
High time) a church clock.
Hop Merchants Dancing masters.
W hen a man arrives at a conclusion it
is time to stop.
Australian widows use the skulls of
their deceasetkahnsbands for drinking
vessels.
What is water in Latin -Why, a
liquid, the same as in any other lan
guage. When a boy is bent on going to sea
the best way to straighten him ont is
to put him before the mast
At a recent sale of rare coins, an
American dollar of the vear ISO I is said
to have been sold for $700.
A certain legislator was very much
put out on account of the recent riot
He was put out of a window.
When you hear a man say the world
owes him a living, don't leave any mov
able articles particularly any bank bills,
lying around loose.
An "intelligent" Gloucester compos
itor has csnsed a well-known aphorism
to read, "One toneh of nature makes
the whole world lis.
France has now buf one doctor to
every twenty-four hundred inhabitants.
Amenca has one to every eight hundred
aad is none the healthier.
Germ Any has adopted a law by which
the holder of a railroad ticket may stop
at any point on his journey for any pe
riod, the ticket remaining good nntil
used.
The greit seal of England requires
fiX) pounds of sealing wax in a month
to run it, when business is good. This
is a tough story, bnt it is what the por
ter of the aforesaid seal recently said.
Westminister Abbey has been pro
tected sgainst fire, at a cost of about
10,000, by the placing of a tank in one
of the towers which will contain 6,000
gallons of water, and is to be kept al
ways good.
The output of mineral? in Great
Bntian Inst year amounted t j the value
of X-"9,47D,4n;, exceeding that of the
previous vear by half a million. The
coal product composed X10, 311, 11:1 of
the total.
The Tolar Sea has been remarkably
free from ice this year. The Pacific
whaling fleet sailed farther east past
Point llreeze than ever before, and it
is said that a steamer might have gone
clear through MeClure's Northwest
Passage.
The library of the British Museum
purchased no less than 3.415 manu-
scripts last year.
Among them was a
ennons treatise in French on the Holy
Sacrament, composed by King Edward
VI., of England, in l.Vl'.t, and written
in his own hand.
The Khedive of Egypt is searching
the mosques and monasteries of his do
minions for mannscripts to form a li
brary at Cairo. He is said to have ob
tained thirty different mannscripts of
the koran, and among them one com
puted to be 1,1. "0 years old.
There are eight metals indium va
nadium, ruthenium, rhodium, palla
dium, nrauinm, osmium and iridium
more val uable than gold. J udging front
the names and price they are held at,
one would think we were dealing with
the solid extracts of rainbow or moon
shine. In 13(1) the population of the United
States was lT,o!'.t,4."):J ; in 1871 3M,5H,
:171. In IX') onr wheat crop was ltlO.
bl.-V7 bushels ; in 1M70 it was 27,715,
io3 bn.shels. The value of the animals
slaughtered, or sold for slaughter, in
in.-), was $1 11.70:5, 112 ; in 1S70 the
valne was$l'.S!.Vi,:7J.
A Hymn and tune book in Arabia,
prepared for the nse of mission chnrcb
es by lr. Lewis, of the Syrian Protest
ant College, is the first case in which
hymns in the Arabic and tunes have
been printed together. It is also the
first case in which music has been writ
ten to bo read backward, or from right
to left
Never was a wife more faithful to the
memory of a husband than Lady Frank
lin. Though thirty years have passed
since ho bade her good-bye, she comes
forward in her old age with an offer of
2,0i Nl for the recovery of official records
of his expedition. Even more than the
spouse of C.-i'iar. she has proved her
self a "true and honorable wife."
The adnltertion of butter by the ad
dition of water is one of the sable ways
adopted by dairymen in England. A
recent analyzer discovered 42) per cent
in some specimens sent to the London
market This is spoken of a "an as
tonishing quantity," only 6 13 per cent
of water being usual. Other samples
had but 4 per cent of water, but this
excess of virtue was offset, we are sorry
so say, by the presence of 50 per cent
of foreign fat
In England there is one lawyer for
every 1,210 of trie population ;in France
one for evarv 1,970, in Belgium, one
for every 2,700 ; and in Prussia, and for
every 12,oo0 only. Another curious
fact is that in England the number of
persons belonging to each of the dif
ferent professions is nearly the same.
Thus there are 31,970 lawyers, 35.4H3
clergymen, ami 35,995 physicians. In
Prussia, on the other hand, there are
4,809 physicians to only I,8t52 lawyers.
A corres-oiilf nt of the Scientific Amer
ican says : " The seed of the common
locust tree will not only stand the tem
perature of boiling water, but will al
ways fail to grow unless boiled for
eight to ten minutes. My father
planted about 15,000 seeds of the com
mon locust on four acres of land, and
only about fify seeds germinated. We
now boil them for ten minutes, or place
them in cold water and allow it to come
Prof. Baird asserts that the supply of
fish along the New England coast is
sensibly diminishing. Shoal fish
though produced in enormous quanti
ties, nave so many enemies mat great
t havoc is caused among them, entirely
I apart from that effected by men. The
! dog fih kills them in myriads, while
I the blue fish seems created only to de-
trov. It kills and maims ten times
more than it can use for food. Then
the destruction by sea birds is almost
incalculable. But besides all their
natural enemies, the fish have had to
contend for over thirty years past with
the fixed engines and weirs which de
stroy them as they travel to their spa wa
ins? grounds, and the Professor thinks
that the only way to prevent the ex
tinction of edible fish ia to establish
certain times of their capture, and re
move the fixed engines and weirs which
give the fish no chance for their lives,
and take in numbers unfitted for human
food.
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