i
SCHWEIER,
THE CONSTITUTION THI CHIOS AND THB ESFORCEMEXT OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOT TYTY " ' ' ' as
" MLFFLINTQWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA., FEBRUARY 21, 1S75. NO. 8.
THE AXStl or TUB TWILIGHT
BT WILL WtLUCI HAK2TEY.
When the long evenings slanting grow
Id crystal rafters over the beach,
Tbe roofs of heaven are almost in reach
As I think of my Borrow of long ago.
Ouoe more an old grief comes and wrestle.
As Jacob wrestled at Jahbok's ford
A dumb resistance, with never a word,
Kiit tbe bhadow burdening down the trestles;
And a long foreboding that seemed to grieve,
Like the soldier who over his pallet hears
Tbe whieper of patient, suffering yean,
IVfore he is used to the empty sleeve;
A I kifsed and cried over a cold, still face,
Iii her bridal robes, on her bridal bed.
And ever repeated, 8be is not dead;
She will come out of her nestling place.
With flahh of laughter and wreathing arms.
The maiden's blush on the cheeks of the
wife;
She will come back to me, life in life,
Iu the dower of womanhood's bridal charms.
Or a coming step, I whispered, is hers;
She siopt the songs that she used to sing;
She conies, like the blossom exhaling spring.
Through violet bed and the clover furze;
And the still sweet dream shall a vigil kerp
Tlie whole night long that she nestles near.
Her vino breath fanning my cheek and ear
An 1 he in her loose light arms of sleep.
If I xerk her by day with the voice or hand.
It ends in a doleful even-song.
Or a taie of au ancient, forgotten wrong.
To children who do not understand.
lint after the twilight sheds its bloom
Far over the meadows about our home
Tbe unseen angels can go and come,
Aud roll the stone from the mouth of the
biuib.
AuJ flie comes iu the dews of a paradise;
A huly Messing around me steals;
I feel her presence as one that faels
Tlie teiitie light upon closed eyes.
S when the eveuidm slanting grow
Iu crystal rafters over tbe beach.
The roofs of heaven are almost iu reach
As I think of my sorrow of long ayo.
llu-pr's Maytiziiie.
IS KI.I.T.
How a Woman I'onIm a Letter.
Any day when yon have time yon can
see how she does it by dropping into
the post office. She arrives there with tbe
letter in ber hand. It is a sheet of note
paper enclosed in a white envelope. She
baits in front of tbe stamp window,
opens her month to ask for a stamp,
lint suddenly darts away and looks at
tbe letter to see if she made any errors
in names or dates. It takes her five
minntes to make snre of this, and then
she balances tbe letter on her finger,
and tbe awfnl query arises in her mind:
"Perhaps it is overweight !" She steps
to tbe window and aks the clerk if be
has a three cent stamp, fearing that he
hasn't, and she looks over every com
partment of her porte-monnaie before
she buds tbe change to pay for it.
Tbe fan begins as she gets the stamp.
Sbe sidles around to one side, removes
ber gloves, closely inspects the stamp,
aud hesitates whether to "lick" it on or
wet her finger. She finally concludes
that it wouldn't be nice to show ber
tongue, and she wets her fioger and
passes it over the envelope. Sbe is so
long picking np the stamp that the
moisture is absorbed, and the stamp
slides off the envelope. She tries it
twice more with tbe same success, and
then, getting desperate, she gives the
stamp a "lick," and it sticks. Then
comes the sealing of the letter. Sbe
wets her finger again, but the envelope
flies open, aud after five minutes' delay
she has to pass her tongue along the
streak of dried mucilage. Sbe holds
the letter a long time to make sure that
tbe envelope is all right, and finally
appears at the window and asks :
"Three cents is enough, is it ?"
"Tea, ma'am."
"And this will go out to-day?" "Cer
tainlv." "Will it go to Chicago without the
name of the connty on it?" "Just the
same ?"
"What time will it reach there?"
"To-morrow morning."
She sighs, turns the letter over and
over, and finally asks, "Shall I drop it
into one of those places there ?" "Yes,
ma'am."
She walks np in front of the six
orifices through which letters fall upon
the table, closely scans each one of
them, finally makes a choice, and drops
no, she doesn't She stops to see
where it will fall, pressing her face
against the window until she flattens
her nose out of shape, and she doesn't
drop it into the place she meant to.
Sbe, however, releases it at last, looks
down to make snre that it did not fall
on the floor, and turns away with
sigh of regret that she didn't take one
more look at tbe superscription.
Important Invention Tor Making
Bag.
Two hundred millions sacks and bags
are annually used throughout the
globe. Of this vast number, fully a
hundred million are manufactured in
England, Nearly all are made by
hand. At one of the late industrial
exhibitions at London, a large reward
was offered for the invention of a ma
chine that would sew sacks with an
over-stitch. Many attempts bad been
made in Europe to devise one, but
without success. Such a desideratum
l,ai at length boen produced by a San
Franciscan Mr. P. H. Garland after
having studied and experimented on it
for over three years. It works with a
spiral needle, and is indeed an ingeni
ous contrivance. It is said that the
establishing a factory in that city for
the manufactory of these machies is
talked of. It is estimated that one
hundred men operating one hundred of
these machines, could annually pro
duce 30.000,000 sacks lacking only
5.000,000 of supplying the entire ratfrj
cast demand, which equals 35,000,000
annually.
Heal nd parent Drain.
People who fear that they may pos-
-:ul I.- UnVJ alivA will be dad to
know that Dr. Doucbnt, one of the-
leading physicians Ol ians, "
Uined a prize from the French Academy
of Medicine for his discovery of a
method by which to distinguish real
from anr.arent desth. The discovery
is thus explained in one of the medical
bulletins : When the temperature falls
to twenty degrees above sero Centi
grade, or sixty-eight degrees Fahren
heit, death is certain. Sow Dr. Pou
chnt has devised a thermometer-like
instrument, whieh he calls a necro
meter, so graduated that if when placed
under the armpit of a person, supposed
to be dead it marks zero, then life has
indeed parted beyond any possibility
of mistake. Of the merits of this in
genious device, so far as any experi
ments or performances are concerned,
no account is given.
THE DIVER'S STORY.
iwZnght.m P10". with
twenty fathoms of water above, and a
stillness, as of death, about you, a
Blender cord yonr only means of com
munication with those above to be
caught in tight place, I say, under
these circumstances, is about enough to
craze a man outright I I can tell you,
sir and the old diver leaned back in
his chair, and fixed his eyes thought
fully on the roaring fire before which
we were seated "I can tell yon, sir. it's
often a toss of a penny with us, when
Wijnee Ret in mmon3 ttie timbers of an
old wreck, if we ever come to the sur
face again 1
"I remember a pretty tight fix I got
into when we were diving into the
Conqueror, np the Sound, of the Con
necticut shore. She was coming in from
the Mediterranean, after a three years'
cruise with tbe 'middies and went
down in a gale in sight of home, with
every soul on board. I was young then,
and anxious to be the first sent down
into her, for the sake of the reputation
it would give me ; for reputation meant
money, aud 'money,' you see, was the
only reason Nettie and I were deferring
onr marriage. You can understand how
matters stood, and how glad I was when
in receipt of orders to make the first
dive into the old man-of-war.
"The sea was running pretty high a"
I was carried down in my heavy 'armor'
from tbe deck of tbe steamer to tbe
float along-side, where the ropes by
which to haul me np again were fastened
on ; the india-rubber tube, through
which I was to be supplied with air,
was adjusted, and I stood listening to
my final instructions before being put
overboard.
" 'Now, dear boy,' said my old friend
and instructor, Lott, the famous deep
sea diver, who came forward to close
tbe little gluts window in my helmet.
Hake good care of yourself, and don't
stay long below. The currents are swift
and treacherous about here : aud keep
au eye to your ropes, or they'll get
tangled. Now, then, good-by, old fel
low, and good luck to yon ; and with a
pleusunt smile he closed tbe glass door
before my eyes, and fastened over it
the protecting wire netting.
"They bore me up in their arms to
the side of the float, where the hungry
waves were leaping np, as though
greedily opening their foaming frothy
jaws to receive me.
"I dropped into the waves with a
splash, sinking swiftly down through
the brilliant sunlit waters, which, though
rough and boisterous at their surface,
suddenly grew calm as I passed below.
I glanced up at tbe sun, which appeared
as a great bail of fire, but, growing
smaller and smaller as I sank lower, it
finally seemed like the tiny red spark
of a candle, and then faded from sight.
I noticed that tbe waters were lit by
pale greenish haze, much like the effect
of moonlight in a light, drifting fog ;
but these observations were cut short
by my realizing that I was near bottom,
and looking below, I found myself over
a bank of tall thick sea-weed.
"Knowing that if I were once en
tangled in them, they wonld hold me
there for ever, I pulled the signal-rope
violently, and my descent was checked
just as my feet touched the treacher
ous grasses. The tide bore me slowly
along and passed them turning me
around again and again in the eddies,
and making my head giddy that I was
heartily glad when I cleared the bank
and stood at last upon the bright sandy
bottom. The shells and gravel on the
bed of the waters were most delicate
and beautiful in formation, and ex
quisite in design, but so tender that
even shells crumbled at my touch.
"I hurried on with the current until
I saw before me what I judged to be
tbe great wooden walls of the Con
queror, but on nearing it I fonnd it to
be a reef of rocks, fancifully honey
combed from end to end, and In and
out among the little arched halls of
these fern-covered chambers the fish
were chasing each other playfully or
hanging idly in the waters.
"Passing around these rocks, I came
upon a mass of tangled rigging, and a
few steps further brought me to the
man-of-war half buried where she lay,
in tbe drifting sand, her spars and top
masts crushed and splintered upon her
decks ; her sails and rigging hanging
over tbe side and resting upon the
broken bulwarks.
. "Great caution was necessary lest I
should become entangled among the
ropes or caught under the shifting
timbers, and making my way slowly to
the companion way, I sent up the signal :
323 . 7 . ('I am about to
enter the vessel' I shall be in danger'
'Play out rope freely and give me
plenty of air."
"I made my way to the lower deck,
and found myself in the forward cabin.
It was very dark, and I groped about
for the doorway, knowing that once in
the main saloon, the deck-lights would
enable me to see more distinctly.
"Clearing the rubbish and drifting
sand from about the doorway, I burst
it open, and was about to enter when I
paused, to summon courage before
entering. A moment, and my nervous
ness was over ; I put my shoulder to
the door, shoved it back against the
waters, and resolutely entered. An aw
ful silence was upon everything a
silence as of death. I was alone, at the
bottom of the sea, in the saloon of the
Conqnerer, and ciose about me were
postured, like grim sentinels set to
watch me in my work, the officers and
crew of two hundred !
"Yes, there were the ill-fated men, as
they stood when death overtook them
on that awful night, when they were
hurried from their berths on the alarm
that they were sinking. Before they
could reach the stairway, the mightv
water had rushed in upon them, and
they died where it had met them, at
tbe threshold. ,
"The eddying waters carried tbem
here and there through the cabin, but
still, so close were they one to another,
that J had to part them now and then
to ruach the after cabin, and more than
one turned, as I slowly passed along,
and followed in the wake I made behind
me. Their faces were often close against
mv helmet, and it horrified me to notice
that they all wore still upon their
features the impression of the terror
that had come upon them in death.
"Yon mustn't think me heartless if I
aay I went at once to my work, for we
divers constantly go through such
scenes ; and I knew well enough, before
I went down, that they were awaiting
me there. I felt it n,y " J?u
would. 1 bnt 1 waB Bent dow? 7 do.
certain things, and I had to start about
still. I was dad enough
when I stood again on deck, ready to
go above with my first report, and
gave a good strong pull on the signal-
nassed. and I was terri
fied at receiving no response from a
second or third signal I ....
"I pulled the rope again violently
waited ttiu no repiy .-
"Great Heaven! what did it all
mean ? Had they forgotten me ? Were
they to leave me there at the bottom,
of the sea with that awful crew ? I no
sooner realized my helplessness than
an uncontrollable terror took possession
of me, while horrible doubts and fears
came crowding into my brain. Surely
they would not desert me ! surely they
bad not forgotten me I 1 pulled madly
at the cord once more, and glancing up
perceived that there was something
steadily resisting my efforts from the
masthead above.
"Was it some monster who was play
ing with my rope ? some great fish
who was holding it in his jaws ? In my
desperation I threw my whole weight
on it, and it gave way, and fell slowly,
silently on tbe deck at my feet ! ibe
ragged, frayed ends, which had become
entangled in the rigging, were in my
hands, and the upper half of the ropes
had floated far away with the tide.
"I was alone at the bottom of the
sea, with no means of signaling" my dis
tress The India-rubber tube, which
was my only means of breathing, was
yet left to me ; bnt as soon as they
should begin to wind in tne ropes ana
tube, on some supposed signal from
me, it would snap in two, and the waters
would come in upon me.
"I need not tell you of the wild terror
which took possession of me ; yon could
not appreciate it. I knew the men were
close to me only thirty yards above
yet I mnst die because I could not
reach them 1 I raved like a madman,
and tried to tear my armor from me,
but its iron rivets held me fast. I
shouted piteously, uselessly, through
the silent waters, my cry going no
farther than the wall of my helmet I
was beside myself in my awful terror.
I tried to pray, but I could not control
my maddened brain.
"I fell upon the deck at last, ex
hausted in an ominous stupor a
sullen despair and sank into uncon
sciousness. When I recovered, I was
calm prayer came to my lips, and with
it a peace and resignation to my heart.
"I closed my eyes quietly, and waited
for the death I was powerless to defer.
Waited for it with my head laid on my
arms as I used to sleep in the dear old
days at home. Waiting quietly for its
coming, praying God that it might come
upon me gently, and asking that I
might fall into unconsciousness when
it was close at hand.
" What I crazed t Was I mad, or
was this a new torture for me in my
last moments ? I had laid quiet bnt a
moment, when I started np in terror,
uttering a cry a weak, miserable cry,
which died on my lips as I sank again
on the deck and closed my eyes to a
terrible sight before me.
"1 had left the cabin door open, and
freed the imprisoned dead men. One
of the dead sailors had floated np to the
deck, and, by some horrible chance,
the tide bore him directly toward me.
Was I to die surrounded once more by
those ghastly sentinels as a death
watch? "He was borne slowly along on the
current, bis eyes wide open in an awful
stare, his arms outstretched, as though
to embrace me, welcoming me to the
unknown worhi. I fell prostrate on
the deck in my terror, but he floated on
slowly, the tide casting him np against
me, when he fell at my side.
"I canght him, in my desperation,
to fling him from me, bnt his arms
closed tight about me in an iron em
brace, and his face was close to mine
the faoe of old Lott, the diver, who had
come down through the waters to save
me, and in whose stoat arms I was
borne up, and carried insensible to the
boats above.
"We saw what was wrong right away,
dear boy,' he said to me afterward,
when the ragged ends of your ropes
floated to the surface. There was only
one way of reaching you, old fellow,
and I can tell yon we flew around lively.
We had no "bell" to go down to you
in, so we just fastened some weights to
my feet, and ropes to my arms. I took
a rubber month-pic between my teeth,
and dropped overboard. The water
oppressed me fearfully, and I couldn't
have stood it more than a few minutes.
In that few minntes I fonnd you, old
fellow, canght you in my arms, and
signaled them to haul us np mighty
CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION OF 1876 THE AGRICULTURAL BUILDING.
quick. I couldn't have stood it much
longer, dear boy, for it was killing me.'
"I took bis dear hands in mine, and
looked into his good, honest eyes.
With a swelling heart I told him in
such words as I could, of my gratitude
for his heroio efforts when he came
down through the waters at the risk of
his own life to save mine."
Almost an Adventure.
Tbe first time I visited England,
under the influence of a few days' im
pressions I wrote to a friend : "Eng
land is a picture of happiness and a
dream of beauty. AU her meadows are
green, all her window-curtains are
white, all her mutton-chops are tender,
all her chambermaids art beautiful. The
idea of a war with such a country is
simply absurd."
As I continued my walk along the
crowded Strand, a low pleasant voice,
almost in my ear, said "Don't look be
hind, sir."
If anything was likely to make me
look behind, it was just that. But I
didn't. I kept my course without turn
ing my head.
Presently again : "If you want some
very fine cigars, very cheap, follow me."
1 did want some very fine cigars, and
though I was bearer of dispatches their
being very cheap was no objection. I
also wanted another thing, as the reader
no doubt has begun to suspect. My
excuse is, I was a great deal younger
then than I am now.
In a few moments a sqnare-shonldered,
decently-dressed man passed before me
and crossed the street ; so did L
lre8ently he turned a corner : so did I.
He crossed again : so did L He walked
onward a considerable distance : so did
L Ue entered a narrow dark alley : so
did L After a variety of turnings and
windings toward the very worst part of
the town, through a region of squalid
misery and pestilential air, he turned
into a gin palace ; so did L There
were a n timber of rowdy looking ladies
and gentlemen with red noses standing
at the counter, bat no notice was taken
of us. My silent pilot, always without
turning his head, crossed the gin palace
and passed out of it in the rear, made
his way rapidly along a gloomy, solitary
court, entered a dirty, dismal-looking,
unfurnished room, and out of that into
another : so did L We were now in a
small dark chamber, with only one win
dow, about two feet square and ten or
twelve from the floor, so that nobody
could look in or out.
Strange as it may seem, not till this
moment did I think what a foolish
thing I was doing.
"Now, sir !" said my new friend, who,
as I found when he turned his bead,
was anything but a handsome fellow.
He unlocked a large closet crammed
with an ample provision of cigar-boxes.
"Just look at them cigars I They're
the best in the whole world and at the
lowest prices. Seven and a half pounds.
Seven pounds. Six pounds. Ye can't
get them cigars anywhere in the whole
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland without paying twice as much.
Mr. So-and-so" (naming a son of one of
the leading members of the British
House of Commons) "has just bought
for fifty pounds."
"Fifty pounds 1" exclaimed L "My
good fellow, I don't want fifty pounds'
worth of cigars. I am going in a few
days where I can get cigars as oheap as
these. I'll take a hundred, or, if you
like, two hundred, bnt I sha'n't take
any more."
The man looked at me with a very
curious expression on his bad, ngly
face, and pressed his lips hard together
like one who has difficulty to control a
fierce gust of passion. Then he an
swered : "Ye don't think 1 brought ye
here, and exposed myself and my den
to ye (for, ye must know, we're
smugglers), only to sell ye a shillin's
worth of cigars, do ye? If ye're
gentleman, as I supposed ye was, ye'll
take enough to pay for trouble and
risk."
There was a pause.
"If ye don't like cigars," said he,
perhaps yell take some other goods."
As he spoke, with a sudden energetic
movement he threw open the trapdoor
at my feet. I looked into it. Black as
midnight, A most cheerful object
under the circumstances. He stepped
down and instantly rose again with an
armful of articles. "Camel-hair shawls,"
aid he "real cashmere India shaw's,
both sides alike. Brussels lace, velvets,
jewelry. Ye can sell any o' them arti
cles for three times what I charge."
"Magnificent 1" exclaimed I with af
fected admiration, for I was not con
templating the elegant articles, but my
own elegant position. I perceived I
was not only in a smuggler's den, but
in a robber's cave. Not only robbery,
but murder was written in every linea
ment of the ruffian's faoe and sounded
in every tone of his voice. What was I
to do ? Whatever I did mnst be done
quickly. While he arranged the wares
for my inspection I measured his pro
portions. He was far more than a match
for me. Besides, had I been strong
enough and bold enough to spr.ng upon
him or to attempt to knock him down
that trapdoor with any chance of suc
cess, a cry or whistle would no doubt
bring to his assistance accomplices as
irresistible if not as numerous as the
army of Roderick Dim ; and even a
bearer of despatches in that case would
be handled rather roughly. I saw but
one course, and that doubtful and
dangerous, but the only one my impru
dence had left me.
"Well, old fellow," said I with a
familiar air, "I tell you what, such a
chance does not come every day. If
you'll give me one of those articles
cheap enough to make a real profit, I'll
take something."
"Oh," said he, "je shall have em
just as cheap as dirt ; only ye must
pay before ye leave tbe room."
"Well," said I, "let ns see if we can
strike a bargain. Unfold that shawl ;
hold it np so that I can see it."
He held the shawl broadly up with
both hands, his face and half his body
hidden behind it.
"Splendid!" saidL "Hold it higher.
Farther back so that the light can fall
on it. Now, what's the damage ?"
"It's worth three hundred pounds, I
give ye the honor of a gentleman. Ye
shall have it for fifty pounds."
"Hold it a httle farther back," said
L It's worth the money, and 111 tell
you what I'll take; I'll take w.y
leave .'"
I dashed to the door. By the mercy
of God it was not. locked. . I slammed
it to after me and flew on my way. Not
Byron's steed, the "Tartar of the
Ukraine breed," with Mazeppa on his
back, not Camilla skipping o'er the un
bending corn, got over the ground much
faster than I as I leaped across that
gloomy court, burst into the gin palace
and out of it again, and winged my
breathless and inglorious flight away
from my pursuer, whose tread I could
hear approaching nearer and nearer
behind me. By what heavenly instinct,
by what unseen guidance, I threaded
that dark, filthy, and not very nice
smelling labyrinth of turnings and
windings 1 know not, but I did thread
it and suddenly fonnd myself in one of
the open, respectable streets. Tbe
tread of my pursuer ceased : I was
safe. LippincotC Magazine.
oplsm.
The production of opium in Asia
Minor, which in former years averaged
annually from 2000 to 3000 baskets or
cases, each containing 150 pounds, has
of late years mnch increased, and the
crop now averages from 4000 to 6000
baskets. Out of this quantity, which
is shipped at Smyrna, tbe United States
take over 2000 cases. England at one
time consumed a large proportion.
The Dutch East India Company also
for many yaars has purchased!, large
quantities annually to send to the
Islands of Java, Batavia and Sumatra,
and of late years the consumption gen
erally has largely increased, especially
for North and South America and the
West Indies. Turkey opium is always
preferred in England before that of
India, as it contains a much higher per
centage of morphia than either Indian
or Persian ; it is on this acconnt that
the greater portion of the opinm used
for medical purposes both in Europe
and America, is the production of Asia
Minor. The price of this opinm in the
market has advanced much of late ;
fifteen years ago the average price was
about 1.75 per pound, and it now re
alizes about $5 per pound, though the
fair character even of this product has
been tarnished by a system of adulter
ation which has prevailed during the
last two years.
jLsasV.r'A 'Zi-.
C EXTE.WI II. FXPOMTIOV OF
Tbe Agricultural Building.
One of the most impressive sections
of the Centennial Exosition, in view
of the interests of tbe great West, and
of tbe cbiss so powerfully represented
in the present day by the t.range or
ganization, will certainly be the "Pal
ace of the Patrons of Husbandry," as
it might appropriately be designated,
but which in the nomenclature of the
Centennial Commissioners is simply
THE AGRICULTURAL I5UILDIXG.
This fine structure, having in its imme
diate vicinity a stock yard, with divi
sions for horses, cattle, sheep and swine,
and poultry houses, will lie located
north of the Conservatory and on the
east side of Belmont Avenue. The
ground plan of this department, cover
ing an area of alout ten acres, is a par
allelogram of 510 by 8JU feet; con
structed chielly of. wood and glass, it
will consist of a long nave crossed by
three transepts, both nave and tran
septs being constituted of truss arches
of a Gothic style. This is intended for
the reception of every kind of agricul
tural and dairy implements and uten
sils, except of course such as are pro
perly included in the machinery depart
ment. Such an exhibition aided, as it
will be, by tbe fraternal feeling which
now exists among the iarming profes
sion, cannot fail to inspire a lively in
terest in the present, and be productive
of substantial benefit in the future.
There will also be arranged in this sec
tion specimens of grain, and products
generally, which, considering the wide
area and capabilities of the soil, should
insure a national display of vast impor
tance, and place the Agricultural inter-.
ests of this country in a position to
compare favorably with other develop
ments of the national progress during
the past century. The Farming frater
nity should certainly take a lively, ear
nest, and liberal interest in making
this department in particular, and the
Centennial Exposition in general, an
undoubted and proud success.
An eminently effective method of
identifying the Agricultural interests
with the culmination of the Celebra-;
tion would be a mass convention of
ranee delegates'' from every State
in the Union, meeting in Philadelphia
on the Fourth of July, lSTii, and pro
ceeding in a body to this section of the
Exposition. Such a demonstration,
and fraternal meeting, would be in ac
cord with the spirit of the order, and
the assemblage of Patrons of Hus
bandry, representing every variety of
soil culturist from Maine to Texas,
would be in itself an imjiosing and in
teresting national spectacle.
The Woman Who I.ivert as Lone
ahe Wanted to.
The legend says there once dwelt on
the island of Falster a lady of rank who
was extremely rich, but had neither son
or daughter to inherit her wealth. She
therefore resolved to dedicate it to a
pious nse, and caused a church to be
built which was both spacious and
magnificent. When it was completed,
she had the altar candles lighted, and
going through the choir to the altar she
cast herself on her knees and prayed to
God that in reward for her pious gift
he would add as many years to her life
as her church should stand. From time
to time her relatives and servants died,
but she who had made so foolish a
prayer lived on. At length sbe had no
longer relative or friend. Sbe saw
children grow np, become aged, and
die, and their children again grow old,
while she herself was wasting through
extreme age, so that she gradually lost
the nse of all her senses. Sometimes
however, she recover ad her voice,
though for an hour only, at midnight
on Christmas. On one of these nights
she desired to be laid in an oaken coffin,
and placed in the church, that she
might there die, but that tbe priest
shonld attend her, every Christmas
night to receive ber commands. From
that time her coffin was stood in the
cbnrch, bnt she has not been permitted
to die. Every Christmas night, the
priest goes to her, lifts the lid of the
coffin, and as he raises it, she rises
slowly np. When sitting she asks, "is
my church yet standing ?" And when
lfex,t&-:3&kf -11.1
the priest answers, "Yes," ahe aighs
and says :
i ' Crtxi jr-anf that mv chnpcb w-rr burnt ;
for thru uuly wuuid my aiacua be wmW.
She then sinks back into the coffin,
the priest lets the lid fall, and comes
not again until the next Cbristmass mid
n:pht tolls from the high church tower.
JLjiiie and School Louimille, Ay.
Daily Bread.
It is an interesting fact that the
Oreek word translated "daily" in onr
version of the Lord's Prayer epiotmirm
is a word fonnd nowhere in Greek lit
erature, saered or profane, except in
this divine petition, as given by Mat
thew and by Luke. Its literal meaning
has been discussed by Origen, Chry
sostom, Theophylactus in short, by
innumerable fathers and commentators,
ancient and modern. In various Latin
versions of the Gospels, in my library,
I find it rendered miper-tubntantialein,
unjKi-irntrm, rwfidiantim ; but though
Jerome seems, in using the first, to sup
pose spiritual bread implied, Rome has
not followed him, but uses in her mis
sals tirfidianuit.
Tbe King James translators showed
great wisdom and a thorough compre
hension of the original in their transla
tion by the use of the word "daily,"
for. though no idea of the succession
from day to day is to be found in the
Greek word, yet the whole idea of the
Greek is contained in the English sen
tence, "Give us this day our daily
bread. Probably no intelligent person
uses tbe words of the prayer without
the clear idea that he asks on this day
the proper, necessary and customary
supKrt of evsry day, which man needs
"daily." Tue fact that the Lord's
Prayer in the original Greek version,
contains an important word found no
where else, seems to me worthy a note.
Onr Social Mle.
Sime people never make acquain
tances, but shut themselves np from
their kind Use an eyster in bis shell ;
while others and by far the happiest
are never at a loss for cheerful com
panionship. It is not hard to make ac
quaintances if we set about it the right
way ; but it is useless to hang back
for every door to be opened ; we must
push them ourselves. Said a lady to
us the other day, "I never make any
acquaintances when traveling. I wish
I could." Said another. "I get ac
quainted with everybody. I talk to
tbe woman who sweeps the ferry boats,
and to any decent person who happens
to sit by me in the cars. I find every
human heart is human, and then I can
learn something 1 didn't know before
from every new acquaintance, or com
municate information that may be val
uable to them. We are all apt to stand
and wait for advances from each other;
to indulge a captions disposition, and
criticise where we should commend.
The cultivation of a genial, charitable,
benevolent spirit will not injure any of
us, and will benefit the community in
which we live, and add constantly to
the number of our friends.
Orderly Habits.
Men are admitted to be more untidy
than women. "One boy creates more
trouble in a house than three girls,"
says msny a suffering mother. But,
after all, she's to blame for it ; there's
no real reason why a boy abould not
form tidy habits. One of the benefits
that the mother of sons can confer on
her own sex and all the world beside,
is to form in them the habit of putting
things in place. This can be done
only by following them around and re
quiring them, when they are through
with a library book, to put it on the
shelf where it belongs ; wheu they take
off their overcoats to hang them on the
rack ; when skates are unstrapped or
boots taken off that they be pnt some
where else beside ou the hearth rug or
nnder foot ; when slippers are removed
that they at once rest in their appropri
ate case. The law of habit thus formed
will gradually extend its domain till it
includes everything the boy handles or
calls his own, and exercises an influence
on all he is and does. In a house in
habited by such men and boys, "put
ting things to rights" will occupy
very brief daily interval.
TlBIaTTOL
To kill time Take a horse and sleigh
it.
Sweetening one's coffee is generally
the first stirring event of the day.
Attila, so historians say, often dined
on horseback. We prefer canvas back.
The sentinel who did not sleep on
his watch had left it at the pawn
broker's. Tbe fisheries on the coast of Scotland
during the pant season have yielded
more than 8,000,000 of herrings.
Wheu a naughty little boy breaks a
window, he should be punished, on the
principle that panes and penalties go
together.
The boy's new trowsers. copper-fastened
throughout, and plated at the
knee so as to be impregnable to frictioa
are known as the "knee pint ultra.''
"What," said a teacher to a pupil,
"makes yon feel uncomfortable after
you hve i'oie wrong ?" "My papa's
big leather strap," feelingly replied the
boy.
A Scotch divine recently praying
said : "O Lord, give unto ns neither
poverty nor riches," and pausing sol
emnly a moment, he added, "especially
poverty."
Th Americans being the better look
ing, of course had an advantage over
the Englishmen in the late interview
ing of Venus and got more than their
share of smiles.
A cake of ice sawed out by an Iowa
City man bad frozen in it a bass, which
is described an being perfect to the end
of its fins, and having all the appear
ance of swimming.
The best defense of lying that we
ever read is the remark of Cbarlea
Lamb, related by Leigh Hunt, that
"truth was precious, and not to be
wasted on everybody."
The Chinese have names which cor
respond in frequency with the Browns
and Smiths of Ango-baxon Christen
dom, Those most frequently occur
ring are Chin, Chang, Wang and Shib.
which are the equivalents of "gold,"
"long," "prince" and stone."
The most bounteons vintage France
has known, tbe statistics sav, is that of
1874. Not less than 2,000,000 hectares
(800,000 acres, there-abouts.) have been
cultivated as vineyards, and the pro
duct is estimated at 75,000.000 heoto
lites (or 1,687,500,000 gallons, very
nearly).
During the year 1371 the life-boats
of the National-Life-boat Institution
saved 543 lives on the British coast,
and saved 15 vessels from destruction.
The institution also granted rewards to
fisherman and others, for saving 170
lives during the year, making grand
total of 713 lives saved.
The duties of a schoolmaster in 1C61
were as follows : "To act as court
messenger ; to serve summonses ; to
conduct services in the church ; to lead
the choir on Sundays ; to ring the bell
for pnblic worship ;to dig the graves ;
to take charge of the school, and to per
form other occasional duties. Hence
the compound word over-worked.
In the city of Cognac, France, there
is an establishment fitted with an au
tomatic indicator to guard against fire.
It is simply a thermometer so const roo
ted that when the mercury rises to a
certain point it starts an electric alarm,
which rings a bell in the proprietor's
quarters. It provides against fire as
the ordinary burglar alarm against
thieves.
The villa in which Michael Angelo
was born, and in which he passed his
childhood, is now occupied by a lineal
descendent of his old enemy, Bacclo
BandinellL There are in the villa
several paintings attributed to the
great artist, including that of the so
called Satyr, tbe upper portion of which
only remains ; and these are also two
chimney-pieces said to have been sculp
tured by him in his youth.
The following test may be applied to
quartz to determine its annferona
character: After being well ground
and calcined it shonld be treated with
a bath of iodine or bromine water, and
allowed to digest in it for some time.
Then a piece of filter paper should be
soaked in the solution, dried, and
burned to ashes in a mnffie. If gold is
present the ash is purple. One penny
weight of gold to tbe ton may thus bo
detected.
At Mons, in Belginm, this is the way
the public "interviews" the manager
when it has a grievance. During tbe
play some one in the gallery shies a
folded letter to the stage, and as it falls
all the interested pnblic call cut, "Read
it ! read it !" There is no peace till
the letter is read ; then, as it contains
some charge against the manager, that
gentleman has to come forward and ex
plain. It is not a bad institution, but
they have just decided in the courts
that it is "disorderly."
The following marriage certificate
was recently found among some old ar
chives of the town of Norwich, Conn.
There was no date of the year, bnt the
penmanship and paper both bore testi
mony to the extreme age of the docu
ment : "Married, at Norwhich, Sunday
evening, 31st of December, Dr. Eaoch
Smith, so called, aged t', more or less,
a renowned collier, to the amiable and
accomplished Miss Mary Melony a cel
ebrated tailoress, aged 26 next grass:
H"W plfaunr It ta to e
Turkrya aad belM gr a."
The good people of a certain town in
the West are, or have been, in trouble
about a schoolmaster hired without suf
ficient precaution. It being discovered
that he spells "soldiers" "wflge.r," and
"kerosene" "ceronene" and that he has
many other bold opinions concerning
orthography, the school committee
have requested him to leave. But he
refuses. They fasten the school-house
door. He breakB it open and "keeps
school" in spite of them. They have
asked him to go, begged him to go, of
fered him money to go, bnt he still
keeps on teaching that "sodger" spells
"soldier." All but fifteen pupils have
been taken out of the school ; but if
there were no pupils at all he wouldn't
g-
A machine has at length been con
structed which will travel at a speed of
nine knots an hour for 300 yards, and
at a lower speed for no less a distance
than a mile. It will maintain any direc
tion impressed upon it, and it can be
launched either trom a boat or an iron
clad, by night or by day. In short it
is a kind of explosive fish, which in
obedience to its masters, will swim for
a mile toward an adversary at which it
may be directed, and will strike a dan
gerous blow. If ships at a distance of
a mile can be struck with certainty by
a mechanical fish discharged from a
harbor, no anchorage will be safe, and
when two fleets approach one another
each will have to encounter innumera
ble foes. Every sea and harbor will
practically be a mine of torpedoes, and
any vessel of light construction must
be hopelessly doomed.