- ' , . ., ,1 II I -- .11 - - m - ,1 - I, B. F. SCHWEIER, - THE CON8TITCTIOB THi UMOH AXD TH1 XBFORCIMEST OF THE LAWI. Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XXX. MIFFLINTOWN. JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA.. FEBRUARY 23. 1876. NO. 8. ODER THE SNOW. Aii me. m evtea lie. under the nor, The ahronding drifting not ; Etch flower that I Tearad baa bowed ita bead ; Ita eweet bloom w.thired. ita fraifranee fled ; l so loved them, iinnK.and mourn tbem dead Dead nnder Uua Winter enow. Lying beneath it. still and low. Dead! and I loved them ao ! Bat tbe aan bT and by wul melt tba anow. The glittering abroad of anow. And tbe beautiful bad and tbe stately tree Will abed their fragrance aain for me. And mj heart ahull be glad when mj eyea ahall aee My treasures from under tbe anow That my yearning love hath cherished ao, Siae fair in the Summer glow. God' a garden lie under tbe ahrooding aoow. The beautiful, sheltering anow ; And the bu.la that He took from your band and muie. Are but waiting the time when Hia voice divine Shall bid ilia euu on the tarJen shine. And warm to life in it glow The precious perms lying under the anow, That He took mheu He loved them ao! After Many Sorrows. It was my eighteenth birthday, and my kind aunt, by dim of several mouths' strict economy, had prepared a great surprise for me nothing less than a Iarty, the first 1 had ever been able to call my own. Many were the guy assemblies I had attended, and many, too, were the invi tations I had declined, for no other reasons but that my pride revolted from always accepting an J uever bestowing them. Not that it was pood Aunt Martha's fault, blie who had been to tne from earliest infancy aa a beloved niotner; had she but possessed the means, 1 might have tilled her house with guest, from cellar to roof, and she would ouly have felt pleasure in uiy enjoyment. But she was tbe widow of a country clergyman, and every oue know a that such "are not apt to abound iu riches; in fact. Aunt Martha regarded herself as especially blest inasmuch as she . lelt in her own comfortable home, with a sufficient income for ber support, with care and frugality. Doubly thankful was she for this Mending when the death of her only hrotlter left his penniless orphan with no protection on earth save herself. She had promised him to lie a mother to his child, and nobly bad she kepi her word. No pleasure, uoeujo uieut, that her limited means could afford were de nied me, and thus it chanced that, denying herself, she sent out invitations for the evening ot my eighteenth birth da v. it was midsummer; the day was un usually hot; so we arrangeu that while the refreshments should ne served in the large, old-fashioned parlor, the gauie and dancing should lake place on the lawn, the generous light bestowed by i the mooii hciiigexfended into the shaded ' portions by lanterns suspended from the , tree. "I have asked our new neighbors Mabel," said my aunt, as we the comi u sr of our g uests ; "M rs Wiltou ' and her daughter, ami that young l Ill'IilltTW UI IltritJ. ire w .iu vi imioh, uiri 1 1 . t.A . s un Arts" at college. Hush: here thev come now." A carriage rolled up to the door, and from it aiighted a gentleman, quickly followed by two ladies. Mrs. Wilton was a tall, dignified woman, her hair white as snow, ber face still bearing traces of the beauty which had been Iters in years goue by; her maimer cordial and unaffected, yet (was it a prescience of the future?) I shrank hurriedly from ber friendly greeting, aud turned with a sense of relief toward her daughter, a fair, bright-haired beauty, whose frail figure, transparent complexion indicated one of those delicate organizations which are ill titled to cope w iih the sorrows aud trials of life. A gentle, amiable, loving creatura was Laura iltou, and, perhaps, from the very i-ontrast to my own cold, ener getic spirit, I soou learned to love aud cherish her as a dear friend. She, on her part even on that first evening of our acquaintance, seemed equally attracted tow ard me and whith ersoever 1 went, followed closely in my footsteps, ever attended by lier cousin. Stacy Percival was tall and finely formed one of nature's noblemen and so widely different from those I had beeu accustomed to meet, that 1 listened with rapt atteutiou to the rich, mellow voice which lent an interest to the most trifling words. That evening was the beginning of a new epoch iu my life. The summer wore on, and scarce a day passed that did ' uot find Stacy, Iura aud myself iu close companion ship. Kidiug. boating and walking, the time went rapid I v on, until tbe chill days of autuuiu surprised ns, and then Mrs. Wilton and Laura departed for the city, to remain through the winter mouths. And Stacy Percival accompanied them. It was a rude shock, this suddenly awakening from the sweet driaiin-liUe life into which I bad insensibly glided. 1 bad bcui so happy and contented with my lot. the hours bad down so rapidly ; that 1 had no time to pause and consider j w hat it meant that strange joy which , tilled my heart and made the whole earth seem radiant with lieauty. But now that it is all over, now that I w as left iu uiy loneliness again, my heart took counsel with itself, and w his pered the truth iu clear, ' startling aci-enls. 1 loved Stacy Percival ! Yes, It was too i rue I loved hira unasked, unsought. 1 had given my heart to a stranger, and my cheeks grew hot as I realized that my affectiou lor him was stronger than that I cherished for the dear, good relav ti ve, who had cared for me my life long. 1 despised myself. 1 would rather have died than acknowledge the truth, and yet I could not deceive my own heart. I knew only too well that it w as the truth that I had bestowed my love unsought. A week after ber departure, I received a letter from Laura, iu w hich she men tioned that Stacy had gone out to the far West, on some sudden business emer gency, "for you know," the letter con eluded, "that Stacy ha lately taken into his own, hands" the control of the immense importing establishment in herited from his fai her. Xo. I had not known it; had not dreamed that Stacy Percival was a rich man. 1 had thought him poor, penui less like myself, and I dropped the letter with a sigh. - Fain would I have convinced myself that this was the reason he had goue away and made no sign; he was rich, I was poor, aud, therefore, no tit wife for him who might wed whom he pleased; hut I could not believe it; I well knew that no such sordid motive could influ ence him whom I loved ; ' It was I who waslu fault, not my poverty. I walked out in me grove behind tbe old mansion I called my home, and there I sat down, resolved to think over it all calmly, and then to dismiae Stacy Per cival from my thoughts forever; only thus. 1 knew, could 1 hone to recover my ben peace. lie had taught roe to love him, and then he had gone silently away; I had been but a summer's pastime to him: yet, no! he was too noble and good to nave acted tn us; It was my own vanity alone that had led me to believe that I was more to him than simply the iuti- uiaie menus ot fits cousin. He bad shown me every attention; yet, how could he avoid so doing, when. because of our mutual affection for I .a lira, we had been thrown stantly together? A quick step close bv startled me from the painful reverie, and I raised mv eves to meet the earnest, searching gaze of oiacy i ercivai. "Mabel !" he exclaimed, passionately, "I have something that 1 had meant to have told you a week ago, but my aunt hurried me away to the city so sud denly that I had no chance to speak to you alone, and then business compelled me lw hasten to the Wesu Mabel, t have traveled night and day that I m'ght re turn to you, aiiawu vou that I love you, and want you for my own all mv own. Mabel, dear, dir Mabel, why do you turn from me: Speak to me, Mabel, sjieak to me ! Not a woi d t Then 1 have otteuded you. Forgive me. 1 was a loot to think you could love one like me.' He turned and walked aw ay, aud I gazed alter him uim a longing, fast throbbing heart, that would not let me call him back. 1 strove to speak, but uiy tongue seemed paralyzed. Suddenly he retraced hid steps, his face while and stern. "Mabel, oh I Mabel, do you know what jou are doing driving me to des peration and despair t Mabel, Mabel, why did you let me have hope? You must have seen that each passing day was making me love you moreaud more, and yet uid uot check me. You per mitted me to think- -oh! Mabel!" His voice died away iu a deep drawn uioau, aud sinking down beside me, his head dropped on my kuee. 1 touuu mv voice theu. The sight of bis su tiering broke the spell which held me silent. "Siacy, dear Stacy," I whispered,"do not grieve so. Y'ou are wrong. I 1 " He lilted his head, aud uever was b ii ina u countenance more radiant with joy, for tbe truth which my lips had re fused to inter was unmistakably written ou my tell-tale face. i ha glal, triumphant cry, he caught me in his arms. "My own, my own, all mine, Mabel, is it i.ot xo? My wile, mv treasure! Ou! my darling, 1 dou't ueaerve such happiness as this." How long Me sat there beneath the trees 1 know not, nor when tue iuter- view would have terminated, had not the voice of my aunt, summoning uie to the house, broke iu upou ourswtel con verse. "otacy," said I, as he hade me good bye, "are you sure Mrs. Wiltou aud Laura will approve?" He looked dowu at me with a startled expression, aud Ins cheeks flushed. "Why, yes; why should they uot? My aunt has always liked vou, aud Laura is your uear friend. Uf course they will approve. But what if liiey . oiiuuiu uuii aim nc j ! :vtj i l ill c iv UI3 i ul.....l.l .....V I l.A , ..,1 ... .. .. i with a wild energy. "What care us, who love so dearly; we are tree -...wj ...I ...v... return. He a Iked hastily away, and I looked after him until his tali nure became lost in the distance. Then 1 wei.l back into t'.e house, my heart tilled with mingled emotions oi joy, and bewilder. nieut, and tear, lor 1 could not dismiss the teeliug that such happiness could not endure, but uiusi be Uie precursor of coming misfortune. Strange how Uie shadows of the future will sometimes cross our hearts and darken them, eveu iu the initial of the noonday of joy ! The uext day I received a letter from Stacy. Business would detaiu him from me several days. 1 wrote in reply, as be desired, and with his second letter (yet distant f rom it) came a note from Mrs. Wilton, requesting me to meet her at her country hou.-e, half a mile dis tant, ou the loilowiug day. Woudering what tbe strange sum mons could import, 1 proceeded with uot a little trepidation, to Ravens wood, and fouud Mrs. Wiltou awaiting me. She seemed greatly agiialed, and alluded at once to the object of her visit. "Miss Mattel, 1 have left the city, se cretly and hurriedly ,to ask you wnelher you thiuk it is the part of oue friend to steal from another that which she most values? Tell me, truly, is such an act honorable, or like a friend?" - ' No no certainly not!" I stam mered, while my heart grew cold, for 1 dreaded what was to corns. ' .j- - "Yet you have done this," she went on. In a hard, ringing voice; "you have firofessed to be Laura's friend ! Y'ou lave tried to take from her the heart of oue who has taught her to love him, who has told her that she, aud none other should be his wile. In short. Miss Markoe, you have beguiled an en gaged man into whispering love ditties iu your ears, and forsaking one to whom he is bound by every tie of honor and humanity! Do vou hear, girl? He is a faithless, dishonorable man, and but that La-tra would die of a broken heart, you might have hiai iu welcome. Oh ! Mabel ! Mabel I" she added, her voice changing to one of pleading, w ilh start ling rapidity, "liave pity on your friend ! have mercy on me , do not kill my child ! Stacy has w hispered of love to her for years past. She has twined Iter a nee lions around him, until, to lose him n-w, frail, weak girl that she is, would be her death blow. Ob 1 Mabel ! give him up; send bim from you, and he will return to Laura. Be just, be generous, and Heaven will reward the deed :" She knelt to me slie, that , white haired mother wringing her hands in agony, and I listened with a stolid, stony composure. "If Laura were only stronger; if she were able to bear tbe 'shock of his faith lessness but she must never know how nearly her happiness was wrecked ; tbe knowledge would bring her to the grave. Give him back to her, Mabel; tickle, dishonorable as he is, ber life depends on her belief in his truth. He taught her to love him, to trust in him. She had no thought of the future apart from him. Mabel, will you kill your friend?" She looked up at me, her features con torted and agonized, and with a power ful effort I shook myself tree from the cold siujior that seemed to paralyze my whole being. "Is it true, Mrs. Wilton I asked, in a voice whose sharp, metallic, ring startled me. "Is Stacy Percival pledged to I-aura ? Had be ever asked her to be his wife?" "Yes, yes, it Is trne, and she believes him faithful. - They were to be married a few mouths hence, but you" ' "i will not prevent ii! Let Laura keep bim." "And you will give liim np?'v she cried, eagerly, her pale cheeks flushing. "Yes; why not? He is Laura's, uot mine." She looked at me wonderingly. "Y'ou are a noble girl, Mabel ; not many would be so generous. But how will you write to him?" . "Yes, 1 will write." . "Aud at once, ere Laura discovers his falsehood? There are paper and ink. Oh! Mabel, relieve a mother's anxiety, and dismiss him now, that I may post the note at once this very hour." 'With the same apathetic composure I sat down and wrote as she desired, a few words only a few (yet, oh! how fraught with bitter sorrow,) telling him that 1 wished him to forget all tiiut had passed between us, and th.it I thought it best for us to not meet again, as my de termination was unalterable. Theu 1 gave tha note to Mrs. Wilton. that she might see that I had really sent mm iroiu me. Months passed on, aud there came no word or sign from Stacy Percival. 1 heard from Laura occasionally not so frequently as at first, Tor 1 studiously suffered our correspondence to droop, and finally it died entirely away. Spring and summer passed by, and the leaves began to fall and rustle on the ground, dead and sear as my owu sor rowing heart. ' " 1 tried o forget, to he as I had been ere 1 had dreamed my brief love dream; aud in the sight of the world 1 suc ceeded, but good Aunt Martha shook tier head and sighed, as she looked upon me, though she wisely refrained from questioning. One bright day I received an lnvita tion to the wedding of Laura Wilton and Stacy Percival. I did not go, though I had long thought to do so, and thus prove to him that 1 hail not suffered; but 1 had over rated my strength, and in tears of agony I passed the hours until 1 knew that he loved was the husband of another, aud theu, uot till then, 1 realized that liope had not deserted me, for only then did it fold its wings aud lie dowu and die. Several vears passed slowly on. Aunt Martha had gone to sleep iu the church yard, and 1, for the second time an orphau, was left alone iu the gloomy old mansion. Oue dav a visitor .was announced, aud I entered the parlor to meet Stacy Per cival. "Mabel," he commenced abruptly. after one loug, earnest look into my downcast face; "Mabel, I have to tell you a tale of suffering, aud sorrow, and wrong. Iet me tell you of it all calmly aud coherently, if 1 can, Mabel, that note you sent me it made in- a brokcu. stricken man. To be cast off by oue I loved, aud told that she had discovered she loved another more than me it was almost my death blow. Vo not start ' ea'h'd the p:iiou ot love is not lnjurt aud look incredulous, Mall. Here is OU! ' lapses into grief aud anx the note, look at it! But tor thatall,,et?; on ,he contrary, it sustains the would have been w ell, for I would have physical iiowers. What Js called ainbi sougbt vou, aud the clouds would have ' tio" l r it!lf harmless; for ambition, beeu swept aw .v. Listen, Mabel. 1 1 when it exists purely, is a nobility lift- know that vou d'nl not write that note. that you never saw it. It was iltou, my aunt, who wrote it! Laura, as you know, died more than ' n l-ear ri axil trnm rli linur ot her .le'. 1 1. h.rr mri..r. h.ith r...i.ii i . li,.e,i iintii ,.p. nm. n,o..t.. i sne too, passed from earth Lying there on her death bed, she told me how she had seen the love which was growing up between us, aud it hav ing been her clierishud desire that I should marry Laura, because of my wealth, she resolved to separate u. When I returned to the city after nnr ' sweet interview, 1 told her, as in duty j bound, of the compact we entered Into. 1 She gave her warm approval, but de-' ,,0s favorable to a long and healitty sired me to keep ita secret from Laura; ! existence. By bis economy he is .sav wby. Bbe did not explain. Then she '"S himself from all the worry incbient went down to Kvensw.al and told von i that she bad discovered our secret, and that her child would die if you did not i give me up. She wrought up your sen- sitive heart uutil you wrote this, the true note, from which she mode ed the false. She was ever ail adept in eoPVing1" """" "" "'""""anon, " rcaia ami the handwriting of others. Her object was to prevent my seeking au explana tion, and in this she was but loo suc cessful. 1 traveled for several months, and when I returned my aunt told me that Ijiura loved uie, that if 1 wished to pre serve her life I must at least feigu Uie love I did not feel, and make her my w ife in pity for her weakness. At first I resisted: then yielded; the future had no joys for me, but if I could make Laura happy, 1 would at least be of some use iu the world. But, oh! Mabel,there, too, was falsehood and wrong, for my dying aunt confessed that while her child loved me as a brother, she desired no closer relationship, and all her mother's influence was needed to induce her to give my suit a favorable answer. Ah ! Mabel, bow much sorrow would have been spared us had 1 been a poor mail! "And now, my darling,! have told you this, a free man, to ask you again to be my wife, to share a happy future w ith me. Will you come to me, Maliel ?" He opened w ide his arms, and I 1 laid my head jea-efiilly on his noble breast, my heart full to overflowing w ith thankfiiiuess aud love, aud. scarce able to realize that after the storm had come sunshine, after many sorrows, joy. Tke Telegraph la tke Afrteaa Deeerta. A correspondent writing from Burba, in tropical Africa, says: "it was singu lar to meet with the telegraph in the heart of the desert betwecu Aryab and Ber ha; not tUe telegraph put up tu working order as we see it in Europe, but all theappurteuaticesof that insiru uieut of civilization carried on the backs of hundred-of camels, which laden with oils of wire and hoi Low iron posts, trod their toilsome path through the burning ami. Kvery now aud then we met oue of these poor beasts, which overweighted and broken dowu by the weight of his load, had fallen ou the ground and been abandoned a victim to the vultures. All this telegraphio gear was marked Se mens Brothers,- London, and was en route to Khartoum, from which town it will be forwarded on to spun the desert between Kordofan ami Darfour. A good many lives will probably be sacrificed before the line can be- considered oeu, as the Arabs, who eagerly steal every piece of irou they can meet with for their spear points, have to be veiy se verely punished before they leave off cutting dowu the pole. However, this difficulty once got over, the telegraph will be as easily worker as one between Khartoum and Cairo, which when it was first laid down was continually be ing Interrupted. Lmubm Timet. - How Hawk Eat. In order lo keep the system healthy, food should be judiciously consumed. The harder a mail works the uiore nu triment he requires. While a working man would need daily five pounds of solid mixed food, two and a half would be enough for persons who lounge aud sleep much. Lite can be sustained two or three weeks on two ounces a day. A change of diet should follow a change of seasons in winter, fat and sweet-; in summer, fruits, fl-h, aud. lighter meats. Milk au.l eggs, a blood food; steak, a flesh foou; potatoes and wheat, which beiug heated material, are fuel; and coffee a stimulant. It is important that the workman should eat tbe workman should eat mixed fond, Which, partaken of at regular sea- sons, stimulates tbe system, aud keeps It in working order. ' Jfarrfaare aoaaaa; the Marriage is a most complicated cere- njony among the Dahomeyau. Sim- Cat ..I . I . . I a I I a puueu, me raw-wue u u loitowo young man take a fancy to a young woman he dispatches some of his friend as embassadors to the lady's father, laden with presents of rum and cow - ries. A council jI the relatives Is con vened. If the suitor has offended any of them the offer is rejected. If inqui ries are, on the contrary, satisfactory. Afa, the god of wisdom, is consulted; and it is generally noted that if the present has been sufficient, a favorable answer is given. If, ou the contrary, the presents are returned the negotia tions are at an end. The next stage is to pay for her, and the bridegroom aud all his relatives to boot, strain every effort to get together the requisite. Be sides doing the betrothal, the bride groom has to meet all the fetish charges to which the bride may We subject. These are not a few ; for if the fetish priests discover that they have a bleed able subject, they are not backward in the discovery that some important sac rifice or ceremony essential to the hap piness of the young couple had been neglected. Tiie bride is then escorted by her friends aud relatives to the future home. A great entertainment is given in the courtyard of the 'house; though during the entertainineut the bridegroom is not allowed to see any thing of his wife. The feasting con tinues to midnight, or eveu to cock crow, after which Uie company retire, and the fetish piiest leads the bride to her husband, accompanying the cere mony with many good advices to her and to him. "We-have brought your wife," they say; "take her, Hog her if she is bail, and cherish her if she is good." The health of the "happy couple" is then drunk, and they finally take their departure. After a week the bride returns to her father's house, aud sends a present of cooked food to her husband, w ho returns the compliment by a gift of ruin, cowries, and cloth. Xext morning she returus to- her hus band's house, goes to market purchases provisions, and prepares a feast, to which her husband's friends are alone invited. The honeymoon is now over, and the little wife subsides down into the prosaic life of a Dahomeyan matron. " J:tce of AW-md," Dr. lluhtrt Bvira.' - . Tke Paaalawa thmt Iawwre Dliraae. The passions which act most severely on the physical life are anger, fear, hatred aud grief. The other passions ! comparatively innocuous. What is " ner troin himself into the ex ilraJalted service of mankind. It injures I when it is debused bv its meaner .11 v. pride, or when, stimulating a man to too sireilHOUS enoris aiier some great OO- Ject. it leads him to the performance of excessive menial or physical labor, and ' i to the couseque .ces that follow such Jeff.irt Th riassiiwi alll vrl an. ' cording to my exrieuce, tends rather : to the preservation of the iodv than to its deterioration. The avaricious man. I who seems to the luxurious world to be : debarring himself of all the pieasu res "be world, and even to be exitostng himself to the langs of poverty, is gen rr"T placing himself In precise coudi- to penury; by his caution he is screen i himself from all the risks incident to -tabulation or the attempt to amass wealth by hazardous means; by bis regularity of hours and perfect appro- P" "' suuiigui iu preiereuce works iu periods that precisely accord with the periodicity ot nature; by his abstemiousness iu living he takes just enough to live, which I precisely the right thing to do according to the rigid uatural law. Thus, in almost every particular, he goes on his way freer than other men from the external causes of all the induced diseases, and better protected than most men from the worst couseqiieuces of those diseases which spring from causes that are uncontrol lable. - Tke DUIware fm Ktar frwaa tke Eartk. For many ages this question puzzled astronomers : How far off are the stars? It was known that -their distance was great, very great. It was known that they were immeasurably farther off than the san, the moon, or any of tbe planets; but it is only in the present century that the question has been even partially answered. Of the countless thousands of stars which stud the universe, the distance of perhaps about twenty has been de termined. Others Which have been tried have defied the powers of the most skillful astronomers. It is impossible to explain here the mannei in which it is conducted; we must endeavor, rather, to realize t lie result which has rewarded these successful labors. There is a beautiful star in the southern hemi sphere, the brightest in the constella tion Centaur, one of the most brilliant stars in the heavens. This was dili gently observed by the skillful astrono mer who managed the observatory at the Cae of Good Hope in the years 1832 and 1833. He found, as the . result of his laliors, that the distance of this star Alpha Ceutauri, as it is called is twenty billions of miles. It requires a little consideration to estimate what the words twenty billions of miles really mea i. A billion contains one million inillio-.is, and we shall en deavor to convey an idea of this amount by a few simple illustrations.' Suppos ing that our great forefather, Adam, had commenced to count as quickly as he could, and that when his life was ended, his eon 'commenced to count, taking up from the number at which Adam left off, and Kpent bis whole life day aud night, counting as fast as he could, and supposing that at bis death he enjoined ou his heirs, an eternity of counting, aud that they had continued doiug so up to the present moment, their united efforts would not yet have reached the amount of a quarter of a billion ; aud yet the distance of the star is twenty billions of miles. Another Illustration may be given to convey an idea of this vast distance. 11 we were to take a snm equal to five times our national debt, aud were to expend this in postage stamps, we should get one billion of them ; and if we were todraw a line around Luiidou,.iiicluding every house iu the suburbs, aud theu take an area equal in size to this, cleared and arranged for the purpose; we theu commenced to stick them side by side over the entire area of London, we should not be able to get tbem all in. After we had covered every inch of surface completely, there would be countless thousand fill remaining. Such, - then,' la the - distance of the nearest fixed star. We cannot grasp it in oar imagination, nor are we more successful it we try to make a map. Suppose we" pits ear by "first' laying dowu the sun, an-l then' placing the earth one Im h distant from it. if we inquire at what distance the nearest star should be placed, using the same scale, we And It to be eleven miles i.iK man i. KamAim ilm .lv an impossibility. ' ' ' Knowing, however, the distance of " the nearest star, what can we say or the distance of the farthest of those that are viable ? Here precise I no 4-ledge fails, , We can lnileo.1 rrnm aiu-r the truth. ' lln mAk9 wikhmmss f a greater or less probability. We believe that It is, at all events, some hundreds of times as great as the astonnding magnitude of wh.cn we have endeavored to convey an impression; but the human mind be comes bewildered In attempting to realize the immensity. Wlutlea i mmw. As soon as all had taken their seats, says a writer, "escribing the scene, in the St. Jrtmr Mayazhte, we rowed off silently, with double-banked oars. Five large boats were all we could man, as many ot Uie fishermen had gone to the banks in the morning; though their brow n sails were in sight, time did not aiiow ot their tecaii. uur armament was most ludicrous; beside gnus, we carried axes, lances, old swords, and several kettles for making a noise with. Several were busy improvising a formi dable weaion by fastening scythe blades to snort poles; one man, called while mowing, sat Iu the bow, holding his scythe. As we left the cove the women kept calling after us, and wishing good luck, aud then hurried to the cliffs, where they watched the progress of the chase. Making a long detour, the boats were quietly formed in a semi-circle to sea ward of the dark group, which appeared unconscious of our approach; as soon as all were placed, the leader fired a gun, and we bore down upon the whales with all speed, shouting and splashing the water. A movement is seen among the whales, dark forms disappear and pres ently emerge again ; they move slowly at nrst, fhuu increasing their speed rush in a foaming crowd toward tbe shore. We follow at our utmost speed, re gardless of the spray that dashes over the boat. Suddenly the fish pause, feel ing, perhaps, by instinct, that they are gettiiik into shoal water, tliey turn, seem to deliberate and select the weakest spot for a charge; our speed is slackened, and all prepare for a struggle. After a moment's pause, headed by the largest of the herd, they rushed at my boat which happened to be In the centre of the line. Ou they came, raising a wall of foam, behind which are dimly seen arched backs and agitated tins; we shout, fire our guns, throw stones, and dash the oars in the water The v hesitate: a few plunge under the boat ; 1 feel their ' Charles, the Grand Duke Duke of Meck backs serai against the keel as we are lenburg, Prince Augustof Wurtemberg, thrown over and half tilled with water from a gigantic fish; terrified and spouting blood, the whale rushes back into the herd, aud heads for the shore in his blind airoiiv. i We redouble our exertions, and the nsh.fiiially yielding.foliow their wound- ed eoinnanioii and fliur themselves on tne siiore, wnere ttie lie wallowing in " emnun w;r. nun ivnui lie umph borne back from the women who stood on the cliff, dancing and waving their arms iu delight at the prospect of an abundant winter sunnlr of food, all the ooats rowed lor tne snore, eacn striving to be first toi-ommence the fight. with a final cheer the me.i drove the boats in among the fish, leaped out, aud began to strike right and left. Quite, sausneu wun my exertions, i sat in tne boat and watched the strange combat, I already closing, as the poor, stupid risk, ignorant oi tueir sireugiu; leu easy i victims to their determined enemies. the sight was strange and striking; l the cloudless sun was shining ou the waves of the bay; but, except over a: large patch, many yards iu extent, dyed red with blood, bach wave showed a stream of crimson as it washed over the glistening bodies, rejoicing that it could insult the strange forms that had lately swam lords of the deep. Behind a narrow beach rose the sleep cliff, down which were running tbe women and children, their shrill cries rising above tbe shouts of the men and roar of the waves. Gradually the tumult ceased, except where a whale in the last throes, wrapped himself in a cloud of bloody spray, and deluged tbe men who stood by watching for another blow. Tke Trlaaapk fw Over - How unsatisfactory is the possession of a meerschaum pipe ! Supposing you to have secured a fine piece the best piece in the universe, say you would not be more happy than miserable. The whole universe seems leagued to destroy It. Y'ou fear to put it away, lest harm should come -to It in your absence; equally do yon dread taking it up, for there is the risk nf dropping, scratch ing, breaking. While smoking it you cautlousiy keep on the morocco case ; handling would soil tbe bowl, and you have beard that the coloring oil evapo rates if the pipe be exposed to tbe air. The longer and more completely your precautious are successful, the greate' your anxiety a.nd nervous apprehen sion ; and if. after all (it generally ends o.) the cherished, the illimitable, the inv iluable meerschaum is broken all to pieces, your agonizing sense of loss pays dearly for yourseason of uneasy ecstacy. This ever present excitemeut and un rest is destructive to the peace and coin fort which should attend thoughts of pipe smoking. Our pipe should be our refuge and solace rather than our care and torment. You will seldom find a smoker of age and experience indulging his habit through a costly and fragile medium ; possibly, if lie be rich, be will have you to his cabinet and parade be fore you a choice specimen of "real Vien na." but you will notice that the .lay is still virgin; and having carefully locked it back In the cabinet, your ex perienced friend picks up some battered, disreputable looking old corn cob or other, which he load and fires with a sigh of relief and satisfaction ; and when he is through smoking he throws the corn cob carelessly on the table, nor careth be should it fail thence to tbe floor; bless you 1 tne corn cob can stand it. Be not deceived by this seeming neglect, however; trust me, your wise friend loves corn-cob. from his heart, and would feel Its loss there, while the "choice Yieuna'i" evanishroent would chiefly harrow bis pocket. The 0i laxi. rU4a te tk Kac-Bac. . The '.finds" in the rag-bag and the rubbish-heap are sometimes not a little curious. A mistress allows Betty, the maid to keep a rag-bag; and occasion ally Betty yields to the temptation of putting into that bag articles which are certainly not rag. But apart from any suspicion of dishonesty, valuables find themselves In very odd places, through inadvertency or forget, ulues. We need not say much about such small creatures as insects, spiders, or lizards, that are found by the paper-maker iu bandies of esparto; they are unwelcome intru sions rather than finds. A patent lock waa oi-ce found among the contents of a family rag-bag; and as It was worth five shillings, Uie buyer was well con tent. An old Latin prayer-book, bought as waste-paper, had a bundle of nails, curiously linked together, packed - in side It. ; .Half-Jovereigns and other coins are found in cast -oil pockets. In the heels ot old stockings, anil Inside the linings of dresses. An old coat, pur- chased by a London dealer, reve tied the fact a joyful fact to the buy t that tbe buttons consisted of soverei ;ns cov ered with cloth. Three pounds sterling in Uerman paper money, found their way into a bundle of German rags thai reached a paper-maker. The London Rag Brigade boys once found a bank check-book, and on another occasion six pairs of new silk stockings in waste paper and rags which they ha-1 bought; these unexpected articles were, to the honor of the Brigade, at once returned. A rare find once occurred in the Houndsditch region. A dealer of tbe gentle sex, we are toldgave seven pence and a pint of beer for a pair of old breeches; while the bargain was netng ratified at a public House, tne buyer began to rip up the garment, when out rolled eleven gold guineas wrapped up In a thirty-pound bank note, we rather think, that in strict ness of law, the guineas of this treasure trove belonged to the crow n ; but most likely the elated buyer and tbe morti fied seller made merry over the w ind fall. Many people, in the days when banking was little understood,, had a habit of concealing their spare money about their person ; thus, au old waist coat, bought for a trifle, was found liued with bank notes I But of all the finds, what shall we think of a baby! A paper manufacturer assures us that in a bag of rags brought from Leghorn. and opened at Edinburgh paper mill, a tiny baby was found, pressed almost Hat. roor bantling: n as It accidently squeezed to death in a turu-up bed stead, or was some darker tragedy asso ciated with its brief history. Clututbert Journal. Artel eeraejr la tke Praaalaa Araay How closely the interests of the aris tocracy are allied with those of tbe army in frussta is evident from the following statistics gathered from the Prussian Army List," I'Ranautui Quart if r LisW for 1S75, pnblished at Berlin on the 30th of November. The royal family of Prus sia counts fourteen of its members in the army, the Arniin family has forty six, the Bismarck nineteen, the Alvens leben twenty-four, the Blucher fifteen, the Bluuieuthal fifteen, the Billow thirty-two, the Kleish thirty-three, the Han teuffel thirteen, tbe Puuhamuier twenty -four, the Schwerin fifteen, the Seckeu dorff twelve, the Treskow twenty-three, the Wedell thirty-two, the Wiuterteki twenty-eight, the Wulffen eleven, and the Z.istrow family ten. There are nine Field Marshals in the Prussian army namely, the King of Saxony, the Crown Prince of Prussia, Prince Frederick counts W rangel, Jloltke, ssteiumetz, Koon Herwath vonKiitenfeld,and Baron Mauleuffel. The senior and oldest Field Marshal is Count Wrangel, who is ninety-two years of age, and has beeu i be army for eighiy years, and was raised ro tne rank of r lent Msrstiaf in There are also iu addition in the f '"J y-i"rrevnera.s, six- -J . .. hundred and fitly oue Maor-Geuerals. the youngest officer iu thearmy Is ap- parently Prince Frederick Leopold, son of Prince Frederick Charles, and who. "mimjiii umj ie jwr ui gir,i mw u the "Army List" as Second Lieuien- ' iu tne 1st rtegnueui oi tne uuarus. Bt-4UUcm Th- a lMI world a Law j Here are some curious statistics about London, from one of the papers issued by the London City Mission : it covers withiu the fifteen miles' radius of Charing Cross nearly 7(X square miles. U uurabera withiu these boundaries 4,000,000 inhabitants. It comprises 100,000 foreigners from every quarter of the globe. It contains more .Roman Catholics thau Rome itself, more Jews than the whole of Palestine, more Irish than Dubliu, more Scotchmen thau Edin burgh, more Welshmen than Cardiff, and more coiintry-boru persons than the counties of Devon, Warwickshire, and Durham combiued. It has a birth in it every five minutes, a death in it every eight minutes, and seven accidents every day in iu 7.0U0 miles of streets. It has on an average twenty-eight miles of new streets opened and 9,000 new houses built In it every year. It has 1,000 ships and 9,000 sailors iu its port every day. If. has 117,000 habitual criminals on its police register, increasing at an average of 30,000 per annum. . It has as many beer-shops and gin palaces as would, if placed side by side, stretch from Charing Cross to Ports mouth, a distance of seventy-three miles. " It has as many paupers as would more than occupy every house in Brighton. It has an influence witii all parts of the world, represented by the yearly delivery in iu postal districts of 2:18,. 000,000 letters. Wka4 lama Eale? An epic seems a difficult thing to de fine. We gather the views of several writers on this point. Blair regards an epic as "The illus trating of some great aud jecntl vim in verse, its aim being to arouse admira tion and astonishment." E. . The great idea of t.ie Iliad is War. rusell rays: 'Homer, wishing to Impress one forcible idea of war, its progress, and its aid, set to work in numerable eugiues of various magni tudes, yet none but that uniformly tends to force this and ouly this idea upon the mind." S. W. Clark's grammar says: "Epic poetry is a historical representation real or fictitious of great events." "Lady of the Lake," "Curse of Keh- ania," etc., are cited. Chambers' Cyclopaedia divides Poetry Into two general classes Epic aud Lyric. The former has outward objects for its subject real or fictitious. Lyric sets forth subjective occurrences. Epics are heroic as the Iliad, the -Eueid, Jerusalem delivered, Orlando Furioso; and sacred as tbe works of Milton aud Dante. The writer adds: "At empts at Epic poetry are now rare... Instead of epic poems we have novels, which so far as subject is concerned, may be con sidered as the epics of modern civil and domestic life." Tktaca ate Ba rally Kaewa, Glass windows were used for light in 1180. Telescopes invented by Porta and Jon son, 1500. Tea first brought from China to Eu rope In 1301. . Circulation of blood discovered by Hacyey, iu 1610. Cotiou planted In tbe United States In 1759. Stereotyping Invented In Scotland, in 1785. Chimneys first put upon, bouses: iu 1236. Tallow ea miles for lights In 1390. Spectacles invented by au Italian, in 1249. Paper made from linen in 1303. ' ' Woolen iloth made ia England, 1311. Art of printing from movable type, 140. - " Watches first made In German v. 1 117. NewSpajiers -trst establUhe-l in 1!J; Peuduluiu clocks first invented in 1630. . locrma coll as. A Xew Warn to tlero. Many of yon, children, have your maids who go with you when nature tells you that you need a nap, while your little brother and sister have their name, or per Laps tbe kind mother aometira.ee, to "hush-a-bye" them to sleep. How do you snpDoee the little ones are pat to sleep in the mountainous district of India f Years ago I raw it and it is a most eunous eastom. nerever there is a flowing stream of water conveni ent, a shed is built and nnder it tronehs of atone filled from the stream. From ese troughs there are little hollow eeds which spont ont the water with a gentle and littht fall, and under these prays of water the children are placed just so that the water plays on their foreheads. puts them to sleep in stantly and they sleep soundly and well. too. ana don't wake np every re miuutes with a little whimper, like some children do whom I have heard of. These little Indians never eateh cold in their heads aud thv grow np strong and healthy men. W he t her the water-aleep does much to make them healthy I do not kuow, but 1 have seeu doxens of children sleeping this way and they all seem to like it. I never saw one who didu t. Tell your old family doctor about it. and see if he thiuks as much of tbe process as 1 ina does. Little Beethorem.Oue of the great est of Genu in mil-ic! composers was Ludwig on Beethoven, who was Uim at Bonn, on the Uliiue, the 17th of De cern tier, 1770. While auite a child, he wonld leave bis plays and his picture-books when ever his father sat down to the piano to practise, and would stand by bis side, and listen to the music with de light. When his father would take him on his lap, and show him how to strike the keys with bis nugers. Ludwig would pay the closest attention ; and, when bis father rose to leave the iusrrnment, tbe little fellow would cry, "Show me more, dear papa: please show me more." I. ud wig began to take regnl,ir les sons in music when be waa only bve years old. At the age of tuirteen, he published several compositions, which ahowed th it he had been a diligent scholar. He soon proved himself to be musician of the highest order, and took rank with Haydn and M zart. 1 here is a hoe bronze statue of Beet hoven in the Boston Music Hall. He ived till the year H& Tbe srudv of his music in this country, withiu the last few years, has greatly extended. Illustrating Proverbs. One day. the little school ma am asked the children to select a proverb among themselves for illustration. They didn't qnite do deisMQ I this bat, nevertheless, they settled upon oue and handed it in : "BUadaoaM 1m aa HuImh Dom" 'Good!" aaid alt. "Now I should like lo have vou each bring ou Friday a composi' ion or a quotation, or an ob ject of some kind, or winterer yon plea-, illustrating this proverb " Welt, they did so. Some, I am toll, bronchi little sro ies; others brought compositions; One little girl brought a wanu hut fad d shawl; and one home ly, clever little ch.p audaciously brought his own photograph ! O.ie and all came off with honors, but the rmwiiing illustration of all was Tom McCliutock's ; he simply brought a picture of a camel's head, looking as if it had just been saying "pranes" and "prism, and knew quite well of its own excel le t qu dities. Not a word did foiu M -Cllutock write, beyond the proverb. He knew bis camel ronld apeak for itself. tit. Sieholas for Fe bruary. CaUilnuh-trre. Oue of ray birds has just beeu telling me about a tree that. be said, grew dishes." In his native islands of the West Indies be baa seen a tree, in height and size resembling an apple-tree, called a calabash-tree. It has wedge shaped leaves, large whitish, fleshy blossoms, that grow where do you think f not like those of most other fruits, on the smaller and outermost branches, bnt on tbe trunk and big branches. The fruit that succeeds the dower ia much like a common gourd, only a good deal stronger, aud it otten measure twelve inches in diameter. Tbe bard shell of this fruit is cut into various she pen by the natives, and is sometimes handsomely carved. It is made iato driuking-cups. dishes, pails, and even pots. Yes. they say that these calabashes actnally ean be used over the tire for boiling water, jnst as yon would nse a poc But the raJabash pot gives out after a few such trials, and is nntit for further service. St. A icholas for iebrunru. FUnrert in new Colars. Well, well ! What will your Jack hear next f The birds tell him that a Professor Gohba has succeeded in changing the colors of cut flowers to suit his own fancy. Rather an unnecessary piece of work. oue would say, aa flowers generally choose their org colors pretty wisely. Still you may like to hear about it : Tbe Professor simply pours a small quantity of common aqua ammonia in to a dish, over tins he places a tunnel ('ig end down), in the tube of which are inserted the flowers he wishes to torhnnge. hat happens then T Ah. my chicks, that's jnst what your Jack wishes to kuow! Wouderful change take place, I am told. Tbe hrst time you have a Dow- r to spare. just buy ten cenur worth of aqnt am monia at the nearest druggists, try Professor Gobba's experiment, and re port to Jack. St. SichoLts. A Fue-mlrtl dllar Cat. "Yen. sirs, five-hundred-dollar eat," said Deacon Green yesterday to three little chaps who were walking with bim. "Lately, at the . Sydenham Pal ice. near London, was held a Cat Show, where over four hundred were exhib ited. The prize cat won a premium of 5 twenty live dollars. He's a splen did fellow, named 'Tommy Ddd' nine yearn old. and considered worth 4.100. or bve hundred dollars. I be heaviest specimeu in the show weighed a few ounces over eighteen pounds. There's a cat for you. young gentle men !"&'. SicUolas for February. A lilt le child was once asked how she rame to be a Christian, and answered : "W hy, I just saw tbe door open, and I went in. Aareef Birds. The eagle, raven, swan and parrot. are each centenarians. An eagle kept in Vienna died after a confinement of a hundred and fourteen years, and on an t . .. i. I .. ui i v. . : 1 1 i " ,r:: " "r : ravens are believed to have fixed their residence for a series of more -ban ninety years. Swans upon the river "Wiw " osaaaaw. VOU "I Thames, about whose age there can he iit mistake since they are annually I A little German girl, Rosa Cotter nicked by the Vintner's Company uu . man. aged ten years, of Bloomington. der w hose keeping they have beeu for five ceii'iirie have ben known to sur- viveoue hundred and titty years and more. The melody of the dying swan is mythologica. , Upon r approach of death the bird quits! be waiersits lown u.sHi the banks, lays its bead upoii tbe ground, expands Its w iiis a trifle and expires, uttering no aouud. -.. hiws n bsht In Pendleton, Oregon, there la a grandmother aged 32. The Kansas Legislature has elected a colored minister as chaplain. Lowell, Mass., has eighty two mills employing a capital of $16,000,000. t'nder the New Constitution of Tesa.i nine of a jury may render a ver diet. Ezra Cornell, the founder of Cor nell University, Sew York, is to have a monument. It is said that not a single member of the Minuesota Legislature was born in that State. Prairie du Chie'n has an artesian well 717 feet deep which throws ud 30- 000 barrels of water a day. Nebraska added thirty per cent, to her population last year, notwithstand ing the pesky grasshoppers. Rev. James Freeman Clarke baa been pastor of the Church of the Disci ples iu Boston for thirty-five years. Tbe keel of a new tug boat which was recently laid in San Francisco was composed of one stick of timber 140 feet long. . The Sing SInz Prison Laundry Is ln;uriug the washing business in New 1 ork city. Lven Ah Sing can't com pete with Sing Sing. The capital employed in manufac turing of paper collars in this country is $3,000,000, and nearly a million paper collars are made daily. ' Six hundred dollars worth of moss are annually raised on a farm at Water loo, X. Y., all of which is used by the nurserymen for packing trees. ireuses don't have a very hannv time in Georgia. The State tax united with the average one for counties. amounts to $173 per day on them. There are said to be about 330 foun dries in the United States engaged in the manufacture of stove and furnaces. using annually 500,000 tons of iron. A young lady at Richmond. Indi ana, went to the river seven times one day to commit suicide, and then went borne and cried uecause she couldn't be heroine. There are in Illinois, according to a late report of the Board of Education, nity-four colleges for males, six for females, and thirtv-five academies and semi uar ies. Ex-Senator Henderson, of Missouri who at first conducted the suits against the members of the St. Louis whisky ring, demands, it is said, $30,000 for his services. Curator W. R. Smith, of the Bo tanic garden, at Washington after hav ing carefully cared for a fan palm for twenty two years, is repaid by seeing it covered with blossoms. The Savannah News says there is no portion of the South where Indus trious laborers are not need d aud where they would not rind immediate employment at good wages. Benjamin Downing, "the oldest Oild Fellow iu the world." has just died at Newport. He lacked two months of being 102 years old The oddest old fellow iu the world still lives. The champion farmer is Michael Sullivan, of Ford Countv, 111., who has 22,000 acres in wheat, and 6,000 in oats and flax. He has 4"0 teams at work, and no less thau 800 persons ou his place. One of the important points of con trast between tbe days of 1776 and the present time Is found in Wall street. When the Declaration of Imlepeiidence was signed there waa not a bank in America. A petition Is before the Massachu setts Legislature praying for the revo- . cation of the sentence of banishment passed against Roger Williams by the General Court of the Province of Mas sachuse.ts Bay. J. M. VanCoft, in answer to a letter from his client, Mrs. Emma C. Moul ton, has advised her that she does not need to take any steps to vindicate her self from the charge of perjury brought by Mr. Bcecher. New Y'ork boasts of Hi newspa pers and rindicals. of which 28 are daily an l semi-weekly, 137 weekly, 22 semi-monthly, 139 monthly, 3 bi monthly aud 16 quarterly. Thirty-two are in foreign languages. ' The Cheyenne Leader estimates that 10.000 people have gone to the Black Hills milling region during the last 3 mouths; they have come from all directions, from the South, Utah, Cali fornia, Nevada, Idaho aud Montana. Bully for old Kentucky ! Her total bonded debt Is only $131,394. and against ' this she has in cash l,19o,32. The State has, therefore, money on hand enough to pay every dollar it owes and leave a balance on baud of over $1,000, OOOr There Is a young lady in Georgia who weighs 203 pounds, and is 6 feet 2. She is also accorded the palm of beauty throughout the State. A proper reserve withholds her name, but in quiry of any oue at Camilla, Ga., will fetch it. Augustus Schell, Chairman of the , National Democratic Executive Com mittee, has called a meeting of that committee in Washington on February 22,. to name the time and place for hold ing the next National Democratic Con vention. Indianapolis has lost a colored wo man, known as Aunt Sally Williams, 106 years old. She had a very large family, all the members of which, so far as she could learn, had died of old age, excepting oue son still living in Lexiugtou, Ky. . In the State of New York there are expended annually more than $106,0M) 000 by consumers of liquor, or two thirds of all the wages paid to laborers in agriculture and manufactures, and twii-e as much as the receipts of all the railroads of tbe State. Macon, Ga., believes iu retrench ment. She has reduced the salary of tbe Mayor from $2,500 to $1,500 and other officers in proportion, cut down the police force from forty to four men, shut off tbe gas, and dismissed the Street Commissioner and his force. The city never got along so peacefully in the world. J. G. Chapman Is the name of a ' New Haven philanthropist, whoduring the past year, has placed i 120 postage sumps on letters dropped in the post- rapie, at a cost of $42.4. The Ya. U..Ma f.db I J.Th 7,ir ii., . . J" t?t -. "J" V.? lHVPatt! tor iw ,v," "" v-mm-cropy. 111., lately stood In the way of an inf riated cow while she put four or five smaller cbildreu over a fence. " Her clothing was nearly torn from her; and she was badly bruised, but the Mayor, and polioe force, as they, descended., from the lamp-posts and teleirxaph poles, were loud in praise of her cour- age. V I t !- 0 !! i! I IP: I J V t r. 1:1 i ? 5 1 V I' I .j si' 111 t
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers