TX7
. tit
.1
4
B. F. SCHWEIER,
y trx roS3TITHTIfHTHl DWIOS AND THB ENFORCEMENT Or THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor
VOL. XXXI.
, MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.; WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14. 1877.
NO. 11.
0, ROSIBUD GARLAND OF GIRLS.
BT MBS. JT1JA EL C. DOKB.
O. rosebud garlani of girhi I J
If the a hole glad year were May :
If muds un; low in the clustering leaves.
And rosea bloomed always ;
If youth vara all that there is of life ;
1 f Lie rear brought nothing of care aud strife.
It were easy to fciiig a eons for you.
Yet O, djt f,ariand of girla !
Is there nothing better than Maj,
The golden glow of harveet-iiue.
The rest of the autumn day?
This thought I give you all to kep:
Who eoaeth good seed shall surely reap.
The year grows rich as it groweth old,
Aud life's latest sands are ita sands of gold.
The Love Leller. '
They had been boarding together at
the farm, Jane lleth and Annie Con
yers; and :!1 that autumn Mr. Craig
had bo; n fishing aud shooting in the
vicinity, and making tlie farm, w Lieh
was renowned for its good fare, his
headquarters. Aud Mr. Craig was a
handsome and dashing young widower,
and Jane ITetli had made up her tniud
that to be Mrs. Craig was her des
tiny. Indeed it might have been, for perse
verance can accomplish wonders, had
not Annie Conyers brought hrr trunks,
her crocheting, her sketch book, and
her blue parasol to the farm for that
summer.
Annie was not prettier, nor younger,
nor better dressed, nor more accom
plished than Jane; but a man loves
one woman, and does not love another,
aud who cau cxplaiu why ?
Amongst those hills and on that lr.ke
the Colonel gave his heart to little An
nie, and she grwe hers to him.
But on the day that called him home,
nothing had been said that could have
been construed Into an engagement,
hut he had M -ked her if he might w rite
to her, aud the had said "Yes," aud
Jane had heard the request and thi
permission.
June did not love Mr. Craig, but her
vanity was piqued, and she had greatly
desired the position which she would
have held as mistress of his handsome
house. Her heart was very bitt r as
she turned away, for he had not asked
her to write to him ; and if their ac
quaintance dropped, as it seemed about
to do, her hoe of clenching the nail
when they met again in the city the
coining winter, as they would be likely
to do, would be quite futile. A3 sue
stood watching the stage drive away,
she felt that the summer had been
wasted, and that there was nothing left
to do but to psck up and return to the
ity at the end of the week.
Meanwhile Annie had run away to
licr room. She fancied she knew what
would bo in the letter which he would
send hir, and she felt what her answer
would be. She waited to be alone and
to think over it, and until tea time she
hid herself from Jane, and from hos
pitable Mrs. Wilton herself. When,
however, she came down to tea, she
looked so bright nd happy, that Jane
felt like wreaking vengeance upon
her.
Three days had passed since the
Colonel's departure, and one evening
Jane stood leaning over the gate, when
a wagon drove up the road and stopped
beside it a moment. From beneath its
covers peepd,the white head of an old
farmer.
"Good evening, Miss," said he. "I
have been to the post efflee, and they
said there was some letters for Wiltou's
folks, and I fetched 'cm over. Ain't
irit id "Ias-es with me, so I don't
know who they're writ to; but yon can
see. All well? That's right. Good
evening."
And away he drove, leaving Jane
with two letters in her hand, one for
herself and one for Annie Conyers.
Her own was from her mother. She
knew the writing; theother well, she
knew the hand that directed that, also.
It was from Mr. Craig.
"And am I to give it to her?" mut
tered Jane, between her teeth I!"
And then with an impulse which
sened to her unconquerable, she hur
ried away towards the woods, hiding
lioth letters in her pocket.
At least she couid delay her rival's
happiness for a whiie; she would not
carry it to her at onoe.
Then alone in the green shadow sh
took the letter from her pocket, and
looked long and curiously at the super
scription. Yes, it was from Craig, and what
iiad he said? Perhaps, after all, he
was not in - earnest. Could she but
read w hut he had ritten, she would
know.
She took a pin from her dress, and
drew it along the edge of the envelope.
It opened a little space, but the rest
ciui g as closely as before. Impatient
:-.t this, -the forgot ail prudence, and
drew the pin across the ipcr with a
sudden pu-h. It cut its way through,
and now the mischief was done, Jane's
heart betit hard and fast with terror, but
he had gone too far to stop.
"I shall know the truth," she said,
"nn-J letters are always being lost in
these country post offlrvs; Til read it,
since I've torn it." Then she pulled
awav the envelope, spread the sheet of
paper on her knee, and read the follow
ing words:
"Dear Miss Costers : It seems odd
tiiat a man of thirty should be afraid to
stand face to face w ith a girl of twenty,
ami tell her that he loved her; but I
could not summon courage enough to
do so, nor to ask the question that fol
lows such a confession. So far from
you, I commit my hopes to this paper,
and having in plain words said I love
you, ask you plainer words still do yon
iove me enouirh to be my wifeT If you
do, w rite to me at once, I pray, and
make me the happiest man on earth by
telling me. so. If, you do not, then
pain neither of us by a refusal ;, simply
leave my letter unanswered. I cau
bear it better so. But I haU pray for
a letter, for. J love you better iiian my
life. - - -
II I RK Y CKAlG.''i
. Jane drew a deep breath. "So it has
gone as far as this," she said. "What
fools men are ! She will be glad enough
to say, "yes;" but if I should destroy
this bit of paper, he would never know
it ; and then well,- then he would do
his best to fill her place. Men's hearts
never break, and there is no one whom
I know suits me better. That old man
who gave me the letter never read the
address. There can be no inquiries
made. It would be safe enough to de
stroy it, dangerous not to do so now,
even if I wanted Annie to read it."
Then Jane tore the letter in two,
thrust it in its envelope, and looked
about her. It would be dangerous to
tear it to bits iu the woods. Its white
fragments might attract some eye
amongst the greenness of the grass.
But hard by a pretty stream babbled
away over stones and pebbles. Once
thrown into the water, that was the
end of iL
Jane hurried to the water side, and
looking over her shoulder, as one might
who expected to see a ghost, tossed the
little package in. It fell w ith the closed
side downward, and distended by the
torn note, which was rudely tnrust
into it. The surface was hard and highly
finished, and shaped so as to resist the
water. A little breeze that had just
sprang up favored it, and away it
floated, like a little boat, deftly clearing
the siiore and tacking aud turning as
it passed the dark, half hidden breasts
of the liule rocks over which the water
played.
"Good-bye," said Jane, laughing as
she watched it. "I have now a vessel,
freighted with the hopes of ilarry
Craig, afloat in a fine style. I am afraid
it will make a shipwreck, but all the
better for some one else. It is .in ill
wind that blows no one any good."
Aud, turning, site tripped towards the
house.
At this moment, farther along the
same stream, where in a little cove lay
hidden a great tangle of water 11 litis,
Annie Conyers sat in a rough little
boat, rowed by Mrs. Wilton's sou Peter,
a shock-headed boy of twelve. Little
Faunie M ilton sat beside her, and the
two girls drew from tlie bank dark
green stemsot'the great, beautiful white
flowers.
"If one could only earry them to the
city," said Annie; "hut
thry always
uie. How greedy 1 am, 1 can never
get enough. But we'll leave the buds
until they opeu and there comes one
down the stream to us. Let's try to
catch it, Peter."
, .
aate
l eter in obedience to the manil
rowed his boat iuto deep water, and
Annie leaned over the side with her
hand outstretched to catch what she
fancied was a floating lily.
Pshaw !" she cried, with a laugh,
as it came nearer, "its nothing but pa
lter! But it seems to be dodgiug me!
I'll catch it what ever it is!"
And
fingers
with these words her white
closed on au envelope not yet
soaked through, aud within which lay,
torn or crushed, paper still dry. j lie looks down if you utte-r the word
"Why, it has my name on the back!" j "soul," aud laughs in his sleeve; lie
cried Annie. "I never destroy a letter cannot thiirk how you can possilly be
when I'm away from home." lieve what eet ms to him such evident
Then her face changed, aud the chil- nonsense; he is very fond of political
drcn saw her pale and flush as 6he economy, and applies its principles to
pieced the torn letter together and read 1 all things; he does not think that gov-
it through.
"Is anything the matter, Miss An
nie?" asked Fannie.
"What should be?" said Peter.
"What a littie goose you are." Fan."
"Xothiij;! is the matter, children,"
. I .llllll , If I I I J , II I U I llnll.1.
says, 'Truth is stranger than fiction !' "
"Eh !" cried Peter.
"So odd for a letter of mine to float
to me on the river," said Annie.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha !" Ain't it?" roared
Peter.
And stranger than Peter knew, for it
was Craig's love letter that Annie had
just read.
She was a wise little woman, ami
kept the matter to herself. But Fanny
did not.
"Wasn't it funny, ma?" she cried.
"Miss Annie found one of her letters
floating dow n the stream, just like a
boat, w hen we w ere getting water li
lies." "Oh!" cried Mrs. Wilton, for at this
moment the teacup Jane had lifted to
her lips dropped from -her hand and
dashed to pieces on the fl'Kr.
"How careless that was of mo,"
criad Jane.
"Hope you haven't spoilt your dress?"
said Mrs. Wilton; but as Jane lifted
her crimson fa-e from the fragments of
the broken cup, she met Annie Conyer's
eves.
Women sometimes ta!k to each other
with their eyes; two did then;
But Annie was generous iu her tri
umph. She never told Craig, and she
-ent Miss lleth an Invitation to her
wedding, w hich Miss lleth, with a great
many regre's declined. :
.Vow
York SimM ampt In 1697 mad
fit appears that in the seventeenth cen
tarv, when the city of New York was
but little more than a village, there !
was for a loug time do system of light
ing the etreets. un uarK nigius, eacu
citizen who ventured out of doors was
expected to provide himself with a lan
tern; and at long intervals one might
see a lighted lamp hung iu frout of the
door of some wealthy citizen.
It was not until ItiKT that the alder
meu were charged to enforce the duty,
"that every seventh householder, in
the dark time of the moon, cause a
lantern and a candle to be Lung out of
his window ou a pole, the expense to
be divided among the seven families."
This was probably considered an ex
cellent way of street lighting at the
time. But what a change would one
of the aldermen of 1(J97 find, could he
now follow on some moonless night the
double line of gas lamps extending
from theBattery to Fordham.a distance
of fifteen miles! Who would not like
to accompany bim as be silently passed
over the well paved way, once eo wild
and swampy, and to see bis astonished
gaze as the long lines of lighted lamps
revealed tall fronts of 6tately marble
stores aud brown atone house's; and on
through the beautifal . Central Park,
and still further, over well made wads
out iuto tlie open country Ijeyoud it,
vt still within the city's luuitsT Do
you Uiiuk that the- ancient alderman,
would recognize in the great new- city
the quiet village that lie ouce knew
and loved I St. Xicholas. .
j. John- B. Gou;h has been lecturing
on temperauce for thirty-five years.
KXEAK.
.-' ItY WM. V. LEAF.
Sneak, without doubt, ia a character
most everybody knows.- That ho is
possessed ot certain qualities everybody
does not fully understand, will become
more aud more apparent. To rightly
introduce to the reader the character
in question, allow me first of
all to state, I do it without pre
judice and with a feeling of right, for
be it known, there are to day running
at large an army of Sneaks of no real
value to the community in which they
live, needing but a slight reminder
such as I desire to introduce to put
them on their guard. After this article
has been perused and reflected upon,
none can hesitate toagiee with me that
Sneak has cot been too harshly dealt
with. Let me begin by saying. Sneak
has run through all the circle of scan
dalism; whatever is most base, dastard
ly, aud contemptible. Sneak has com
mitted. Is a lie to be tol J you of any
one, SiM-ak. writes von: -
Sir: Your mother-in-law has just
died, aud it is said Las willed to you
an immense fortune. Favor ine with
.aud the news will be kept secret
uutil further information is obtained.
i S k.
No man has Ven so often kicked as
Sneakf lita wlmle carcass is branded
with the contumely of castration.
Sueak is lit heart the inost miserable
of iiit-u; he is poisoned by his own dis
grace; he knows that every man loaths
him; he strives to buoy himself from
"the graveoient abyss'' of his infamy
by grasping at some one far superior
to him. One man f considerable prom
inence', with one oiired of character left
to his back, promised to dine with bun,
and has been stark naked of character
ever since. Sneak has stuck up a
wooden bos, on which, in very conspic
uous letters the following words have
been painted: "Poor and Needy. Con-
tributions Thankfully Received." and
i daily makes his rounds, to peep iuto it,
or give it a good shake, to ascertain
whether anybody has been foolish
enough to favor him w ith their patrou-
age. In vain would ingenuity dissoci
ate the name of Sueak from the thought
of the scavenger. Of all melancholy
and disappointed pel sous, Sneak iu this
day is perhaps the most. Observe that
pale aud discontented conntenauce.that
lair at once shy aud proud: be has no;
i 1 1 - i , i i. I
' pleasure in the social world; he is aw k-
ward and gloomy; for he lives not in
the piesent; he plunges iuto an imag
inary future ue-ver to be realized. He
goes into the world thinking the world
must admire Lim, and ask, "Who is
that inte resting young man lie has
no sympathy with other men's ainuse-
meuts; he expects all men to have sy m-
j pathy with him. But who is this dry
J aud au.-tete young mau, with sneer on
; 111) aud spectacles ou uose he is Sueak
ernmeut hltouiu interfere w itn euuea-
tiou, because it should not interfere
about money; he fails to see that a
poor man will strive for wraith, that
an immoral man will not strive for
morality; that an ignorant man will
not run after knowledge; that govern
ment should tempt to virtue, but hu
man passions will tend to wealth, lie
sets up for a mau of business, by much
dexterity and continuous extensive
advertising becomes popular, and be
lieves he has reached such a degree of
pupulai ity, that no matter what he may
desire, it can easily be obtained; ex
periment makes known his willingness
to serve his constituents as an M. C; is
defeated; pronounces the game a fraud.
and sinks iuto forgetf illness; he would
leg, if successful, to be put upon the
dullest committees; he would not lose
an hour of twaddle for the world; he
would never speak without having
learned every sentence by heart. Look
again, nine times ont of ten, the charac
ter iu question, is the pon of a well to
do man; he lieeomes a clerk in an exten
sive mercantile house; bis very pulse
seems toentei its accounts in the ledger
book and ever thing for a time woiks
harmoniously. You w ill observe Sueak
commencing to play as all are accus
tomed to do, after a few mouths service
tiicks of no small amount- You will
observe him calling a boy following the
profession of "black your boots," to
give his a little brushing, aud when
tiui.-hed, has the impudence to leg
"credit"' until to morrow. Walk a few
steps more, aud who shall you see, jnst
turning the corner, but Sneak, with
newspaper in band, for which, with the
ease and dexterity of a well trained
clown, he gives the newsboy the slip,
leaving the little fellow minus three
cents. Sneak, for some reason or other
takes it into bis bead that newsboys
are not a little forgetful, aud on the
morrow looks for the same boy cheated
vesterday. He need not wait long, for
sooner than calculated the same boy
puts iu an appearance, aud Sneak with
smiling face, very quietly remarks,
"Sunny I am broke; not got a cont;
will you trast me until to-morrow t I
am Jonathan Sneak; everybody knows
me, so do you, my boy 1" "All right sir,
take it, Mr. Sneak." "Another point
gaiued," said Sneak, "I wonder who I
cau do next. This 'doing' everybody
seems to pay. It is much better to act
the rascal in a gentlemanly way, than to
do it on the sly." So thinks Sneak, aud
w ho knows but what his way of think
ing is about right, when taking into
consideration, the large number of be
ings daily "doing" everybody with tbe
pretense of being geutlemeu. Sneak
meets with a new acquaintance., offers
him a segar, and very genteely requests
him to partake of a few "smiles." Of
conrse his friend never formed the
habit of saying "no," and both entered
Mr. Charles Putup's saloon with the
sole intent and purpose of having a
a very sociable chat for at least half an
hour. Mr. Putup knew exactly how to
put up a "straight" or "crooked" whis
key, or a "fancy driuk,".but was not,
unfortunately, ' personally acquainted
with Mr. Jonathan Sneak, and yet, by
the way, he might be considered rather
for innate in not becoming too famili
arly acquainted with Mr. Sneak. Tbe
drinks are pat np. Sneak and his friend
take a seat, and after exchanging a few
words. Sneak very politely asks to be
excused for a minute or two, sneaks
out the back way, and leaves his friend
anxiously waitiug for Lis return. His
friend ia without money. The drinks
were not settled for when Sneak sneak
ed off, and his friend in attempting to
leave, is requested by the proprietor, to
settle, or abide the consequences. To
liquidate a bill for a few high toned
drinks without the ready cash, is no
small matter, and Sneak's friend being
minus of it, was soon placed in charge
of an ollicer, walked to the nearest
Justice of the Peace, and was com
mitted in default of bail, for what T for
being innocent, and for not inquiring
iuto the good or bad character of an
every day trickster, so frequently met
ai'd so often dodging hither and yon,
entangling every new acquaintance
into the worst kind of snares. Sneaks
are not easily insulted ; not easily
say they "oatched" aud are always
ready to em merge intojanytbiug that
pajs. Look at him back of the mer
chant's counter. See with what eae
and dexterity he sweeps a dime, a quar
tet, or fifty cents from the till, lie
never for a moment thinks of being
caught, for he has well practiced the
game of chance, and will run the risk at
all hazards. Again, I entreat you, look
more closely, and what do you observe f
It Is just this. That Sueak wears the
finest of jewelry; he can sport a gold
watch, and put on the airs of a million
aire. Is Lis income sutlicient to allow
such extras T In all probability it will
be found the salary Sueak receives is
too inadequate to warrant such ex
penditures. See sneak on Sunday. Look
at himsportiugatiae horse and carriage,
with his sweetheart' by bis side. Hying
along at the rate of very near or less
3:40. Again, I ask the question T
Will Sneak's income warrant such ex
tras T If so, well and good. But the
emphatic No! No!! tells the story too
truly; sums up sutlicient evideuce that
there is a screw loose somewhere, that
Sueak has been appropriating to Lis
own use that which was not his; that
Sneak has been sneakiug, yes, sneak
ing with the audacity of no fear of ex
posure or detection. Sneaks as a rule,
taking all things iuto consideration are
passable for good aud worthy politici
ans. I he country is overcrowded Willi
them. Into otliccs with honor, out of
them withdishonor. Intooflicepoorand
wretched, out ot it possessed with an
overabundance of wealth. If it were
not for the spoils of office, but few
i : i . i -ii: . . .
would be so ready or willing to engage
in or seek such positions. The time
was when it was considered an honor
to be lifted to a political position.
Why T Because in those days Sneaks
were uot so numerous, and the scram
ble for office was much less than at
present. But since the days of Sueaks
what lo! and behold, an army of
office-seekers have sprung up quick as
mushroons. It is the honest politicians
that must suffer for sneaks acts; and
the honest politician becomes overtaxed
w ith labor when a political Sneak plays
his part too fondly, and alas; too well.
That there should be a law and rigidly
enforced preventing candidates seek
ing ollice, from holding office, is an nn
questionable fact. Tbe ollice should
seek the man, not man tbe ollice. Un
der such a system of reform, political
Sneaks would look abroad for "bread
and butter." It is the very reform this
country must sooner or later come to,
for by so doing, a system of honest
government w ill prevail.
4'ntnlue tonrlenre.
"Hath a dog conscience!" quoth the
corporal. "1 bad had this dog for sev
eral y ears.au d had never, even in puppy-
hood, known him to steal. Neverthe
less, on one occasion be was very hun
gry and in the room where I was read
ing aud he was sitting, there was w ith,
in easy reach a savory mutton chop. I
was greatly snrprised to see him
stealthily remove this chop and take it
uiider the sofa. However I pretended
not to observe w hat bad occured and
waited to see what would happen next.
For fully a quarter of an hour this
terrier remained under the sofa with
out m iking a sound, but, doubtless,
enduring an agony of contending feel
ings. hventually, however, conscience
came oil' victorious, for emerging from
hi-- place of concealment, and carrying
ia Lis mouth the stolen chop, he came
across the room and laid the tempting
morsel at my feet. The moment be
dropped tbe stolen property, he bolted
again under the sofa, and from this re
treat no coaxing could charm bim for
several hours afterwards. Moreover,
wbendui ing that time Le was spoken to
or patted, Le always turned away Lis
Lead, in a ludicrously conscience
stricken manner. AltogetLer I do not
thiuk it would be possible to imagine a
more satisfactory exhibition of con
science by animal than this; for it must
be remembered, as already stated, that
the particular animal iu question was
never beaten in bis life Journal of
Science.
Fast Days la France.
A gentleman of th? inquiring turn of
mind has beon amusing himself with
collecting statistics regarding the con
sumption of food by Parisians on fast
days and days of abstinence. It appears
that la-t Good Friday ' the Xiobe of
cities" managed to consume 280 pounds
of salmon, 110,000 pounds of cod, 5,000
pounds of skate, 40,000 pounds of red
herrings, 8,009 pounds of shad, 3,000,000
pounds of eggs, 6,378 pounds of butter.
The allowance of fish for a population
of 2,000,000 inhabitants is not very
large though 40,000 pounds of red her
rings will go a long way, especially in
producing thirst. Keepers of public
houses, indeed, must be tempted to an
irreverent parody of the coachman's
wish that it were Derby day all the year
round. They have certainly every rea
son to wish that the fasts of the church,
if observed in this spirit, may be many
and rigorously enforced by the civil
authority. The amount -of beefsteaks
consumed on Good Friday ia not stated.
It doubtless represented a considerable
amount of self-assertion on the part of
"liberals;" in the continental accepta
tion of the word, though many admi
rers of Prince Napoleon were somewhat
scandalized at tbe dinner-party once
given by his Imperial highness on that
day. French clerical journals take good
care to remind Prince Napoleon of big
imprudence, to call it nothing worse at
least once a year.
Tbe Aaeient Simplicity.
An English critic talks about a Loped
for return of simplicity in dress and
furniture. This utterance is in accord
with sentiments very common in the
popular speech sentiments which as
sume that modern life is far more or
nate and artificial than life in past
periods. Prevalent as this notion is, it
is whol'y a mistaken one No idea,
however.can be generally current with
out some foundation for it; it is, there
fore, true that if one makes certain
limited comparisons he will discover
evideuce in support of this asser ion.
If, for instance, one compares tbe life
of tbe people of early New Eugland
with that of their descendants of to
day, Le will find very marked confir
mation of the accepted theory. On the
other hand, a broad comparison of one
century with another, of tbe life of civ
ilized people of the eighteenth or other
earlier ccutury with the life of civil
ized people of this century, will elicit a
very different education. There is ab
solutely not one fashion now current,
not a taste in dress, furniture, or orna
ment, that is not a revival of tastes in
those things in by-gone periods. We
have inveuted nothing, we have elab
orated nothing; we have only imper
fectly reproduced tbe excesses, copied
the styles, and fallen into the manias
of our ancestors. This fact really set
tles the whole question; for, if it is true
that, with all the talk about old fash
ioned simplicity aud modern excess, it
can be shown that every detail of this
excess is derived from the very times
that are held up to us as models of
moderation, then obviously the censures
and criticisms so abundant are all
wrong.
And yet that we do no more than re
vive past fashions, in so far as present
fashions aro ornamental, is certain.
We are original only in those directions
that involve simplicity. Men's attire,
for instance, is quite unlike old styles,
but its departure Las been severely in
the direction of plainness, simplicity
aud ugliuess. Iu those matters that
involve elaboration, artifice, display,
we have gone back to our forefathers
for the inspiration and the instruction
and, so far, have failed to come up to
them. If one would see tbe extent to
which elaborate carving can be carried,
let him 6tudy the old cabinet-ware at
the Hotel de Cluny, Paris, or at the
Kensington Museum, London, or such
examples as be may fiud in the muse
ums iu America ; or let him recall to
mind the old furniture be has seen
tbe four-post le-dstead, with every part
covered with elaborate designs; or the
old cabinets, upon which the industri
ous carver has not left au inch of space
untouched ; or the leather stamped
chairs, overrunning with quaiut de
vices. These remains of past industry
and taste have many things to claim
our admiration, but simplicity is not
one of them. If we permit our mem
ory to run back over the past, it will
bring np pictures of halls richly wain
scoted; mantle-pieces lifting to the ceil
ing, iu which sculptural ornamentation
has tasked the iuventive imagination of
the artist to the utmost; of ceilings
overwrought with devices, of men aud
women moving amid the scene upon
whom satin, silks, laces, ribbons, feath
ers, jewelry, have been lavished iu rich
but studied profusion. If we recall
these pictures of the past, the current
lament over modern depaiture from
simplicity will seem absurd cDough.
This point is to be observed, how
ever: the pomp and splendor of the
past were honest in character; there
were no cheap and showy substitutes
for real material and earnest labor.
Veneering was unknown; the carving
was done by hand, aud uot by machin
ery; the ornamentation was part of the
structure, not clued upon or attached
to it; the dresses of satins and silks
knew no admixture with baser material.
As a consequence, only the wealthy in
dulged their tastesi n this way. But
nfnv machinery has facilitated manu
facture so much, and ingenious work
men have found so many ways of imi
tating by cheap processes the elaborate
workmanship of the old artisans, that
llimsy and bad ornamentation acquires
the beauty and destroys the integrity
of a good deal of our work. This it is
right enough to denounce. But it is
quite misleading, in the warfare upon
meritorious ornamentation, to assume
that we carve, gild and decorate more
now than in former periods of the
world's history. Old churches, old
houses, old furniture, old dress, eld
china, old lace, all show a passion for
color and love of decoration that w e
to-day are only in part reviving Jji-
pletoiai1 Journal.
4'barlea Klngalry 'a 4 oaslllallun.
Kingsley's muscles and senses were
far more vigorous than the rest of bis
constitution: looking only to bis
strength, be was fit for an athlete;
looking only at his temperament, he
was fitter for a monk. His brain, or
his personality, as we may choose to
phrase it, was steadily on tbe side of
the robust and active element, but was
never impervious to the other. Hence
all who were really intimate with bim
were struck by the anion of the moot
exquisite tenderness with a manliness
that often seemed aggressive. Hence,
too, bis personal predilection for mys
tical writers, even when be felt bound
to protest against what - he thought
their demoralizing quietism. Hence,
too, one is tempted to guess, an impnlse
to complete bis conversion by renounc
ing bis love, an impulse which may
have been tbe stronger because the
sense of unwortfainess, which is to be
found in all true lovers, was very
strong in him. It is hard not to suspect
some personal animosity in his repro
bation of thedepreciat ion of wedded love
forbimwastheonedamningsin of which
asceticism. Another consequence of
Kingsley's constitution was extreme
intellectual impatiece. Tbe importu
nate muscular energy which made
mental application in itself a penance,
became comparatively manageable by
by the help of tobacco, which he
learned to prize at Cambridge, though
we find that when be had long been
hard-working country parson he conld
not work at writing when tbe weather
nterfered with energetic exercise. Bat
tbe exuberant vitality asserted in itself
in another way be threw himself read
ily into a combative attitude, and con
demned before be understood. After
reading ten lines of Palmer on the
Church, he was sure that the book was
too sophistical and dangeroua for bis
correspondent to read until she could
read it with him, and wasieady to con
vict tbe citations of the "tract writers"
of bad faith on the strength of the
connter citations of Dean Goode. This,
of course, was in his salad days, when
Le was green in judgement, and thought
Salisbury Cathedral a monument of
elegant soul-crushiug austerity; but
years after be seriously maintained
that the successful activity of the
clergy promised nothing for the perma
nence or prosperity of the establish
ment, unless the Church comprehen
ded the necessity of an alliance with
Arnoldism because, "as we who know
history know," the last fifty years be
fore the Reformation were full of just
the same superficial activity and im
provement, the proofs beiog,that dur
ing those years the fashion of found
ing colleges of ptiests instead of mo
nasteries, came in, and that many chur
ches were built in Somersetshire.
Fortnightly Eerier.
Mn.ieal Meamtians.
Now we cau explaiu, perhaps, why
is it that our musical sensations are dif
ferent iu small rooms and in large ones,
or, to speak more closely, why the rela
tions between the volume of sound and
the space to be filled must be suitable
in order to produce the right effect.
I can sit close to a piano and listen to
"Lied ohne Worte." 1 can take iu
every Inflection of touch with ease, not
a refinement is lost, but if I go to the end
of a long room, the impact is less direct,
the plea.-u re is less intense; the player
must then exaggerate all his effects,
hence a loss of refinement and ease.
Public players and singers e-oustantly
make shipwrecks thus in private rooms.
Accustomed to vast spaces, they roar
and bang until the audience is deaf,
aud the only reason why they unknow
ingly applaud on such occasions, and
the only difference, as far as they are
concerned, betweeu the professional
and the amateur, is simply that the
first is so much louder than the second.
This makes them clap their bauds aud
cry "bravo!" But in reality they are
applauding a defect.
The only musical sounds which really
master vast spaces like the Albert Hail
are those of a mighty organ or an im
mense chorus. The Handel Festival
choruses are fairly proportioned to the
Crystal Talace, but on one occasion,
when a terrific storm burst over Syden
ham in the midst of "Israel in Egypt,"
every one beneath Hi at crystal dome
felt that, acoustically, the peul of
thunder was very superior to the whole
power of the chorus, because the rela
tion between the space to be filled aud
the volume of sound required to till it
was iu better proportion.
But there is still something which
has not yet been said for small sounds
in large places. Transport yourself in
imagination to the Albert If all on some
night wncn, as is usually the ea-e,
there is but a scanty orchestra, and
presently a new mystery of sound w ill
reveal itself to you. At first you will he
disappointed. Any one can hear that
the hall is not properly occupied by tiie
sound; the violins should be trebled at
least, several of the wind instruments
doubled, Ac. You think you will not
listen to this charming E flat symphony
of Mozart; tou cannot help thinkina
that you lose a delicate inflection here,
a staccato there, a flute tue, a pianissi
mo on the drum, or a whole piece of
counter melody, owing to the scattered
conditions of isolated vibrations lost in
space.
B;it you have still something to learn,
something like a new musical truth,
which few people seem yet to have no
ticed. Listen! The sounds from the
band reach you too late perhaps. They
are not simultaneous; the impact on the
ear is somewhat feeble; you must even
strain attentively to catch what is pas
sing, hut the more yon do so the easier
It becomes, ju?t as the eye, iu looking
through a lens, may see all dim, but
gaze on until the objects become sharp
and clear. The nerve? of the eye have
adapted themselves to the new condi
tion; the longer you look the better
you i-ee. So in these vast uncomforta
ble spaces, the longer you listen the
better you hear. A certain special
training is required, and then gradu
ally a new quality is perceived we
must give the process a new name
"sound filtering." The Albert Hall
and the Crystal Palace are great sound
filters. From this point of view, which
It requires some delicate and attentive
ear-culture to appreciate, new delights
are born from the defective space, eon
ditious usually complained of. I have
heard the voice of Madame Leminens
Sherrington in the extreme distance at
the Crystal Palace, when she was ex
erting herself to the utmost, aud it
sounded like a voice from heaven, full
of unearthly, far-away sweetness; the
same intensity and volume iu a small
room would have been Intolerable. I
have heard Bottes.-ini on the doublets-3
iu the open air with similar eflect.
Listen to an orchestra or quartet,
however fine, in a moderate-sized room ;
there is the cat-gut, the resin, the
scrape, the bite of horsehair on strings;
the earthly cannot be completely got
rid of; but space will filter all that, and
leave nothing but a kind of spiritual
disembodied sound, like the tones of
those plugged pipes in the organ that
seem to steal out of some remote cloud
land with a certain veiled sweetne-s
that makes us hold cur breath.
Since I have learned to listen to these
peculiar effects in all their strange gra
dations, a new class of musical impress
ions has been revealed to me, and I
have become much reconciled to hear
ing music in vast spaces. I do not go
there for the kind of norm U impress
ions, for the direct study, for tbe
strong, immediate impact gained from
music in a moderately-sized room I
lose much of all that but I gain a num
ber of new abnormal effects, which
also have a power over certain hidden
depths and distant - fastnesses of the
emotional region. Good Word.
Dr. William Harvey, the originator
of the Banting cure, died recently in
London. The Banting cure receive'd its
name from its first patient, who was
the undertaker to the royal family of
Great Britain.
Hteaea-Boatlae; the Botpbara.
A Loudon newspaper correspendent
writes ; "I have in my time journeyed
dinner ward on Chrismasday in a great
many diffeieut vehicles in broughams.
in omnibuses, in dog carts, in wagons,
in a Venetian gondola and in a Cana
dian sleigh, in a Hansom cab and in a
compartment of the Metropolitan Dis
trict Bailway; but I do not remember
to have ever yet availed myself of so
queer a conveyance as that which took
me to Therapia - on Christmas day.
There was nothing abnormal, it is true,
in the build of the steamer. There was
nothing at which to be astonished at
the Turkish name painted on her stern
or the Turkish characters inscribed on
ber fuuuel. or the invocations to Allah
in Arabic characters which decorated
a kind of tea-tray on the taffrail abaft.
The oddity of the vessel was comprised
in the cargo which it carried. It was a
human Noah's aik, aud oue of the very
strangest kind that your imagination
could conjure up. There was a hurri
cane deck covered with an awniug, as
on board the American river steamers'
aud beneath that a main deck, three
first and second class saloons, a couple
of harems for Turkish lady travelers,
aud there were side cabins, holding
from four to eight passengers each,
these List were not uncomfortably fitt
ed with divans, on which you could
curl up jou legs, enjoy the universal
cigarettes the use of chibvuL aud
Hwjhiles is every day growing rarer at
Constantinople and revel in the pros
pect of tbe beauties of the Bosphorus,
the cabiu windows forming admirable
picture frames, aud providing you with
a continually recurring seiies of tab
leaux seemingly freshly drawn from
the sketch book of a David lloberts
or a toste, a John lwis or a can
Hang. Ever and auon a discreet tapp
ing would be audible at the cabiu door,
aud then there would enter to you a
gentleman in rags w ho sold lolipops or
pieces of pie crust the amount of
pastry devoured between sunrise and
sunset by the Osiuaulis is as astonish
ing as it is alarming or a gentleman
more than half naked who sold news
papers, or a vender of lemonade, or
fruit, or boiled chestnuts, or dried figs,
or pomegranates, or pipe lights, or cho
colate d:ops, or some one or another of
the ten thousand things, costing on an
average of about five farthings apiece,
which the Tin ks are perpetually pur
chasing. A Lr.na ml I.ilr.
In December, 1S1". in the department
of the Vosges, Navicr Thiiiat, a boy of
ten, accompanied four young girls of
about the same age to the church.
They Lad to cross a brook, over which
was placed a single loose plank. The
boy crossed safely; the first gill who
attempted it fell in. The boy jumped
in and Dulled her out. and then, walk
ing in the water, guided each of the
tills across. Some time was lot-t by
this, nod tie raity reached the church
late. Xair, ashamed of being late,
did not go up to the stove, but kept
behind. He reached Lome chilled, a
dangerous disease followed, by which
he was left a coiupl. te criptle for life;
his only mode of moving altout was
on bis bands and ki.ess, so completely
were bis legs paralyzed and distorted.
Coming of very poer people, there
was every prospect that Thiriat would
be a heavy charge t. hi family aud a
wretehed louden to himself. Instead
of this, he reached manhood bright,
cheerful, and intelligent. Beading all
the few books which he could lay hold
of, he was soon the b;st educated man
in bis district, and rapidly acquired ex
tensive influence, which was always
used for good. He induced the young
people, to read and to Btndy. Some
contributions to the local newspaper
the Kchoilr Vcif, attracted attention
aud made Lim known, the result of
w hich was that furtlter intellectual op
portunities were extended to him. He
made himself a cood botanist, meteor
ologist and geologist, instructed others
iu these branches, and procured the
foundation of several loe-al libraries,
lie could not, however, be satisfied
without achieving Lis complete inde
pendence and earning Lis support. He
obtained the position of manager of
the telegraph at a neighboring town,
was made secretary to the Mayor, lc
came a favorite correspondent of sev
eral agricultural papers, and received
the highest rcwaid of the French
"Franklin Society" its gold tuedaL
All this was accomplished by native
force of character and strong religions
feeling, nndt r circumstauces not merely
adverse, but at first sight absolutely
hojH-less. A horrible deformity, iu
teuse suffering, absence of instruc
tion, crushing poverty all these disa
bilities were overcome unaided, aud
this ignorant aud crippled lad m;je
himself the light, intellectual and
mora), of bis whole district.
WbereUo Robins -tola WlalerT
Toward the middle or latter part of
September, generally, the robin, which
has heretofore been merry and jubilant
in song, becomes silent and finally dis
appears. If the weather continues cold
he remains away, but tbe first w aim,
bright day brings him and Lis com
rades ont in force. And "they make
hay while the sun shines," by devour
ing all the worms aud insects they can
find, which leaves no time for anything
bnt a satisfied firjinow and then. The
amount that a robin will eat in a day is
something remarkable; for it it esti
mated that he ingests more than forty
one percent, of worms (or insects) More
than hi otrit weight, besides gravel and
water.
But where does lie secrete himself
dining the interval between Lis leaving
aud reappearing! His favorite resort
is the thick growth of high brush in
some low lands or swamp. Here Le
remains in a very quiet state'seeking
for what food he can fiud, and waiting
for the warm days to come when be
can till bis empty maw. The two or
three notes that he utters are feeble
and lonesome. " '
Later in the season tbe robins con
gregate in flock, and either retire south
or remain in the swamp woods until
the spring.
As tbey move from place to place
during the night, or very early iu the
morning, their sadden appearance and
disappearance is accounted for.
Often found where it Is not Fault.
ITEW3 CI BRIEF
Catharine Lambert, of Omaha, lived
to be a hundred years old, and was then
burned to death in a kerosene accident.
Mr. and Mrs. Sartorls will be the
guests of Mrs. Louis Dent, until May,
wtien tney will sail ror Europe.
There are in Boston 6,329 licensed
clogs, and 2,0H more that are un
licensed. There are about 6,000 producing oil
wells in Pennsylvania, and the daily
average production is 5.6 barrels.
The daily consumption of water in
New York amonuts to 14,000,000 gal
lons, or uiuety-tive gallons per capita.
One of Elizabeth Cady Stanton's
daughters has begun the study of medi
cine iu New York.
By the dismissal of the music teach
ers iu the schools of Brooklyn, that city
Is saving $13,000 a year.
Inducements are offered by the
Land Department of Florida for 0O,WH
wealthy Meunonit-s to emigrate to the
orange groves.
The State tax In Maine is only a
third of a cent ou a dollar of assessed
valuation, or alsiut a sixth of one per
cent, on real value.
The striking engineers of the Bos
ton and Maine Railroad paid as high as
$."M to buy off new men. Not much
want among these men.
Mr. Hamilton C. Williams, who was
President Polk's private secretary, h ad
just died in Maryland at the age of sev
enty. He was a Teunessceau.
Kat skins have become an impor
tant article of commerce at Fort Dodge,
Iowa, where one dealer has bought Xi,
000 pelts, w ithiu a few mouths.
The King of Sweden and Don Al
fouso are the only sovereigns in Euroe
who are of French desceut; nearly all
the others are of German origin.
The Anglo-American company's
total cable receipts for the last hail'
year were $l,30S,s0, of w hich only
Jli;,".j were needed lor working ex
penses. The question of having John A.
Elder paint a portrait of General Joseph
K. Johnston tor the Virginia State Li
brary is under consideration by a Legis
lative Committee.
It is understood that the governor
of Illinois will appoint Kobert T. Lin
coln, sou of the late President, ou the
new board of railroad and warehouse
commissioners in that State.
The New York street cars earrv
ltil.OuO passeugcrs a year. It would hi
pleasant to know how many of the un
lonnnates bad seats ami how many
hung m to the straps.
The Springfield, Illinois, Irou Com
pany is now rolling rails of 0 feet iu
length and X5 potim' weight per yard.
It is said that the like was never done
before.
The French Government asks for an
appropriation of tlt,4-0,0xi for public
instruction iu 1S7-. For 1377 there wa
appropriated '.,8"KJ,oil. and for IS7G,
$7,SOO,(ioo.
There lives iu Stonington, Connec
ticut, a nativeof the Island of St. Helena
who was iu the employment of the Em
peror Napoleon during his captivity
there.
The Kuglisli Sciety for the Preven
tion of Cruelty to Animals obtained
dtjiing the year 1S76, 2,-1" convictions.
Tliis does not include convictions ob- '.
t iiued by the ioii.-e.
As the gold crop of Australia de
creases, the wod crop grows more valu
able. Last year the wool product of
that country was ro,uon,fmo, more than
four times a much as its gold product.
Lavir.ia Goodell hns recently be-en
elected clerk of the Cong.-egatioiial
Church in Jauevi!le, Wiscousiii ; the
lir-t tfuie that otlio has l-e?i held by a
woman.
The American heirs of the Jennings
estate in Kngland recently met iu
Bridgeort, Conn., and formed an asso
ciation to prosecute the claim to the
projierty, valued at $SJ,0UU,iJOO.
rones, a glittering representative
f m New Hampshire, has bad 1,7W
copies of the Congressional Directory
make gilt-edged for favorite constitu
ents, at au expense ol $.-uo.
The fleets of Europe comprise
ve?eis, including 2H9 ironclads, aud Ho
others, of which -A are ironclads, were
in process of construction ou the 1st of
January. The crews num'-er 2W,uuo
men, and the vessels carry I j,W0 guns.
The Weting!iotise Air Brake Com
pany recently received an order from
England for brakes to be placed ou
three hundred locomotives and one
thousand cars. The order amounted in
value to $2j0,0IJO.
Onions in New Mexico grow to the
size of an ordinary water pail, and one
Is sutlicient for several meals. Turnips
have been growu there weighing twenty-five
pounds. What a paradise for
Colonel .sellers!
It came out in a trial at New York
ree-ently, that cbromos comprising
tweiity-seven colors, aud printed on as
many different plates, can be furnished
at ten cents per copy. Picture dealers
charge from 1 to j J for them.
Ten thousand men are. engaged
upon the Paris Exhibition building.
Tlie authorities reckon upon a daily
average of from thirty to forty thousand
visitors to make the exhibition a finan
cial success.
Mrs. Sarah C. Mcintosh, of Joliet.
III., has been elected, by tbe voters of
Will county, III., superintendent of
schools. Her predecessor in the oflic-t
was a man, but she proves thoroughly
capable of filling the position.
The fourth centenary of the birth
of Raphael w ill occur March 23, lsftj.
A commission has been apiiointcd to or
ganize a grand festival, and a subscrip
tion has been opened for the erection of
a monument to bis memory, on that da v
iu bis native city, L'rbiuo.
Captain Thomas Desmond has re
ceived in S.iu Fraucisco gifts of a gold
watch and chsln and of "slo in gold, iu
recognition of his services in. the Irish
national cause, and especially for the
part he took in the release of the Fenian
prisoners lu Australia.
Pittsburg has a surplus of 112,000
remaining from the Chicago relief fund,
which surplus has been at interest for
some years, under the control of a board
of trustees. The interest on this sur
plus, amounting to 13,(X0, has been ju
diciously distributed among hospitals,
and other charities iu that city.
A monument to Hans Christian
Andersen Is to tie erected at Odense, the
city of his birth, as soon as sutlicient
funds shall have beeu collected from his
admirers throughout the world. Hassel
kriis, the sculptor, will construct the.
monument. Money enough to pay for
another statue to be erected at Copen
hagen has already been subscribed.
The new governor of Georgia thiuks
the running expenses of the State gov
ernment can be reduced about one
fourth from the present total of $032,
000; among other reforms that he urges
upon the legislature is a reduction in
the number of its clerks, messengers,
doorkeepers, etc., which now foot upto
124.