- ----- ----- -v ------- .. ..
B. F. SCHWEIER, THE COSSTITUTIOJT THE UinON-AST) THE EI
VOL. XXXI. MIFFLINTOWX, JUNIATA COUNTY, PE:
weait.
Somehow the uiou,bt to-day
Seems sweet to me.
That should Kill to ce uv
I'm calling thee."
As ne'er before I'd go
Like ODe all Meat.
G ad to be cboeen bow
And know the reel.
Glad, for the burdens grow
Heavy to bear ;
Over the niht of woe
No dawn breaks fair ;
For climbing upward way
titiil. still I fall ;
And when my voice would praise
Gnef huehea all.
Sot that the wo k is doue
Gjd Kave to me.
Not tLat through victoilee won
From ain I in free,
l!ut on life's thorny road
Peat-e is unknown ;
I'e weary (.rowu.
Weary. I want to rut
Close, doee by Tbee,
And w.th the happy blent
Thy face to eee ;
With them to sing aright
.Thy dear, dear love ;
Ail i n. and grief, aiui night.
Far. far above.
Mrs Litchfield's Governess.
BY CONSTANCE STEitl.lSO.
WANTED. A coverings for three small chlW
ore n K'iirllh blanches only ftone but
home y worn' n need up ly Adoress, Mrs. Au-gu-tu
Lil'-liDeld, iv,in.i otliee.
Georgiana Cramlal read the above
singular advertisement over several
times before she completely took in the
sense f it.
"This Mrs. Litchfield must le a verj
peculiar wouiaii," said Georgiana, ad
dressing lier words to the tiny clock on
the mantle for want of a human being
to coutiile her thoughts to. "But I
rather think I conlil suit her ou the
score of ugliness."
The young laly glanced in the small
mirror which hung over the mantle,
ami smiled rather scornfully, thereby
displaying a set of beautifully white
anil even teeth, I regret to say her only
lieauty, although at times her eyes were
very soft ami luminous, ami then brown
eyes are never ngly.
I am not going lo describe Georgiana
Crandall. Sullice it to say that she
really was jiositively homely. Even
her best friends hail to admit her ugli
ness, but always added that Georgiana
po-sessed some strange fascination for
every one, and then no one could help
liking her, for she w as both talented
and rich.
Poor Georgiana ! She learned early
in life "that riches take unto themselves
wings," for her father speculated and
lost evcrj- penny of his fortune, dyin
of a broken heart, and leaving Geor
giana alone in the world, dependent
upon her own exertious for a liveli
hood.
I' liable, to endure the pity of some
friends ami the coldness of others, and
too proud to live on the alms of her
wealthy relatives, the orphan girl took
a situation as governess in the family
of a Mrs. Rn-cman, who w as a good and
lovely woman. Here Georgiaua enjoyed
every comfort of her former home, but
Mrs. Rnseinan's health declined, and
she went to Europe w ith her two little
daughters, and Georgiana was again in
search of a situation.
"I think I will answer Mrs. Litch
field's advertisement before I finish my
breakfast," again addressing the tiny
clock.
In a few moments she had completed
her answer to the advertisement, which
she read slow ly aloud :
Xew York, March 1.
"Mb. I.iiciifiei.d. Matlnmr: I write
in answer to your advertisement in this
morning's lUrold. I am desirous of
obtaining a situation as governess. My
qualifications for the position can be as
certained by addressing Mr. J. II. Rose
man, St., Xew York. I am ready
any day to enter on my duties, and
will endeavor to give satisfaction if
engaged. I have not the slightest pre
tentions to lie called even good looking.
Yours. Ac,
GeokgiaXa Crandall."
This letter w as sealed, and then dis
patched to the nearest drop-letter box
by the willing chambermaid of the
boarding-house.
.
"Julia, what ou earth induced you to
insert in the Ilmihl such a ridiculous
advertisement ?"
Mr. Walter Danforth's face wore a
vexed look, as he threw down ou the
breakfast table the morning Herald.
"I had my reasons for putting in just
such an advertisement, Walter," replied
the sharp-looking little woman in w i
dow's weeds, who sat oposite him at
the well-spread Uible. "I won't have
.my more pretty governesses running
round the garden w ith you moonlight
evenings, and pinning button-hole bo-Ui-ts
to your coat. Xo, that I won't."
Walter Daufarlh.a handsome man of
thirty, made an impatient movement
w hich came near upsetting his collee.
"You are too ridiculous, Julia, for
anything except a silly child. You are
a grown woman, and ought to have
learned bv this time a little com
mon "
"Xow pray don't remind me of my
age, Walter. I am not likely to be
allow eil to forget my seniority as long
as long as you are in the house. lam
obliged to have a governess for my three
poor darlings; but it shall never be
said that iriy only brother w as sacrificed
on my account to one of those sly, deep,
pretty governesses. Xo, I've had enough
of them. I suffered from my nervous
apprehensions all the time Miss Garfield
w as here. I was glad to get her out of
the house. Another w eek and the sly ;
thing would have been Mrs. Walter
Ianforth. Thank heaven ! I knew my
duty."
"If you have finished talking, Julia,
I w ould like to say a few wordi if pos
sible. You do Miss Garfield a great in
justice. She w as engaged to a young
man in her native tow n. She did once
give me a rosebud for my coat, but it,
w as because I ask her for it. And it ,
was by accident that I met her at the
foot of the garden that evening " I
"Oh, don't try to explain, Walter. I
understand it all. It is enough that I
never again shall have a pretty gover
ness set foot in my house."
44 You will be very unlikely to receive
any answer to such an advertisement,"
said her brother, as he left the room.
The next day came Georgiana Crau
dall's letter, and Mrs. Litchfield showed
it triumphantly to her brother.
"She writes a pretty hand and has a
pretty name," he said. "Can't you ad
vertise for a lady who writes atrociously,
and rejoices iu some hideous cogno
men ?"
Mrs. Litchfield took no notice of tier
brother's sarcasm, but immediately
wrote to Mr. Roseman, and his reply
was so satisfactory that Georgiana was
eugaged at once.
Tho old homestead of the late Angus
tus Litchfield was so beautiful and ex
tensive that Georgiana could not fail to
admire it, although she saw it for the
first time under unfavorable circum
stances, for a violent snow storm w as
prevailing when she reached the large,
comfortable looking house, w hich she
fervently trusted w as to prove to her a
pleasant and permanent home for many
years to come.
Airs. Litchfield met her new gover-
uess at the hall door, so anxious was
she to see that there was no trace of
beauty in her face. The first glance
put at rest forever all the apprehen
sions which she may have had that the
new governess had been too modest in
her description of her personal apjiear
a nee.
Accordingly Georgiana met with a
cordial greeting, and a neat maid ser
vant conducted her to a large and com
fortable room w here a bright fire was
burning, and w hich had Itceu set apart
for her own use. Before she hud quite
finished her toilet, a knock came on the
door, w hich she quickly ocned to ad
mit a little girl of about nine vears of
age, w ho had beeu sent to conduct her
to the dining-room.
"Are you to be one of my pupil.
asked Georgiana.
"Yes, I am Cora, and Minnie and Gus
are to be taught also," replied the child,
whose thin lips and fiery black eyes lie-
tokened a high temper.
Walter Dauforth was introduced by
his sister to Georgiana ou her entrance
into the dining-room, and he could w ith
dilliculty keep his eyes from the face
which seemed to him to be one of the
homeliest lie had ever seen.
When the governess, at the conclu
siou of the meal, left the room with her
three charges, Mrs. Litchfield turned
to her brother w ith a triumphant smile
"There ! What do you say now, Wal
ter? I don t think there will be any
danger of your taking moonlight ram
bles and rosebud tokens after this.'
"She has the most exquisite teeth I
ever saw, and her hair, though of an
ugly shade, is very abundant, and her
hands are as white and soft as can be;
then her neck "
"Don't say any more, Walter. You
are welcome to fall iu love w ith her
lieauty, if you choose,"and Mrs. I.Itch
field laughed maliciously.
Days and weeks passed by, and Wal
ter saw- very little of the governess ex
cept at meals. He never heard her
sjieak, even, for she seldom sjioke un
less asked a question. Mrs. Litchfield
was charmed. Her handsome and
wealthy brother was in no danger from
the wiles of her homely governess.
One day in May, as Walter passed
the school-room door, he heard sounds
of contention within, and Cora's voice
raised to a shriek.
"You horrid, ugly old thing. I shan't
learn this lesson, either. You know
you hate me. There, take that, you ugly
old governess."
Quickly opening the door, he was in
time to see an ink-bottle hurled at the
head of the governess by the angry
child, and though it did not strike her
on the head, the contents poured down
her neat black dress.
"Cora!" cried Walter, iu a voice that
struck terror to the child's now fiight-
ened heart. "Go instantly to your own
room and remain there." Then in a
gentle tone he said to Miss Crandall, "1
am afraid your dress is ruined. Cora
has a violent temper, which must be
controlled."' h future."
Oh. pray don't make any disturbance
with Mrs. Litchfield. Mr. Dauforth. I
am sure Cora will apologize for her be
havior as soon as she is a little calmed
down."
"1 w ill explain the whole aflair to
Mrs. Litchfield, Miss Crandall. I shall
assure her that you w ere not to blame."
Georgiaua, touched by his kind words,
looked up to him, while words of thanks
trembled on her lips. The gratitude
swelling up in her heart lent a lustrous
beautvto her brown eyes, which "alter
was quick to notice.
Seeing his evident admiration, Geor
giana muttered some excuse aliout
hanging her dress and hastily left the
room.
Mrs. Litchfield, although a fond and
indulgent mother, was well aware of
Cora's high temper, and she assured
the governess of her confidence in the
way she had managed the children, and
punished Cora for her niisliehavior.
Several days after the scene in tne
school-room, Georgiana asked permis
sion to go into the city to do some ne
cessary shopping, w hich Mrs. Litchfield
readily granted, and sent her to the
little railway station in the family car
riage, promising that it should meet her
on her return iu the six o clock tram.
which was the one she expected to
take.
But when the coachman returned:
home from his trip to the station at six
o'clock, it was with an empty carriage,
for Georgiana had not come.
"She must intend remaining in town
all night," said Mrs. Litchfield impa
tiently to her brother. "She w ould not
lie likely to come on the nine o'clock
train, and if she does, she can just walk
from the station. I shau t send my car
riage for her again. She should have
come as agreed." ,
If I were you I would send again,
Julia. It isu't exactly the thing Tor a
young lady to be walking alone at nine
o'clock at night. It is over a mile rroiu
the station to this house, and a very
lonely road."
'You needn't preach to me, Walter.
She is only a governess, anyhow, and
she should have kept her word. She
isn't so handsome that any one would
care to kidnap her."
"She ma; have been detained, Julia,
and therefore unable to keep her word,'
replied Walter.
"Do let me alone about that gover
ness," was all that Mrs. Litchfield an
swered, and she took up a magazine and
began to read.
As Walter had surmised, Georglanna
had been unavoidably detained in the
city, and it was with surprise and dis
may that she found on alighting from
the nine o clock train that no carriage
was waiting for her.
But being no coward, she started
bravely to walk to Mrs. Litchfield's re
sidence, but had gone but a short dis
tance on the lonclv road, when to her
terror she saw coining rapidly toward
her the tall figure of a man. But her
frightened heart bounded with joy and
relief when she heard a well-known
voice calling to her, the music ofw hich
had unconsciously to herself grown
very dear to her.
"Is that you, Miss Crandall? w I have
come for you. Rather a dismal w alk on
a night like this."
Then her hand was taken iu a firm
grasp and placed on the arm of Waller
Dauforth. For once Georgiana Cran
dall forgot to act the cohl, distant gover
ness, a part which s'ie had little cared
to play, and the walk home was enjoyed
by both, Walter thinking he had never
met with a more inteligent or interest
ing companion than this hitherto silent,
reserved girl, and it was so dark that the
homely face could not lie seen.
"Walter Dauforth!" exclaimed Mrs.
Litchtield, as she rushed out in the hall
on hearing the front door nien, and
saw the governess enter with her
brother; "Is it Kssible that you went
after Miss Crandall? This is worse than
moonlight walking w ith MNs Garfield.
It is pitch dark outside.'
"So much more reason why Mis
Crandall should not 1m1 allowed to walk
from the depot alone," said Walter
quietly.
After this incident Walter found many
excuses for going into the school-room
and obtaining a few wonls w ith Geor
gian. The more he conversed with
this homely governess the more he was
charmed with her good sense and intel-
igence. In listening to her soft, low
voice, he forgot entirely the ugliness of
her face.
One morning in June, Georgiana
strolled iu the garden ln-fore breakfast
and. broke from one of the rosebushes
three lovely buds, w hich she held iu her
hands as she entered the breakfast
room. Only Waller Dauforth w as there.
and he laughingly asked her to give
him one of the rosebuds. She accord-
y gave hiiu the prettiest one she
held, but he said she must pin it on his
coat, for he did not know what el.-c to
do w ith it.
Both forgot entirely that this was
the very thing that had been considered
so reprehensible iu Miss Garfield's
conduct, and Georgiana was just com
pleting the pinning ou w hen the door
ouened and Mrs. Litchtield entered,
comprehending at a glance the little
scene before her.
"A second Miss Garfield !" she cried
iu a shrill voice. "Miss Crandall, I am
deeply shocked at being a witness to
your endeavor to inveigle my young
brother into making love to you. I
thought when I procured an ugly gover
ness all such trouble would be at an
end. But I see my mistake. I'gly as
well as pretty women try to w iu wealthy
young men by these little arts and w iles.
Miss Crandall, I am amazed at your
conduct !"
Astonishment and indignation had
made it imtiossilile for Georgiana to
Kak during this tirade, but as Mrs.
Litchfield ceased, she smothered her
emotion and replied iu a voice of con
centrated passion :
Madame, you have cruelly, wickedly
wronged ine. I leave your house this
very hour, having no wish to look ufoii
you or yours again."
o saying, she haughtily lelt t lie
room.
Once out of sight of Mrs. Litchfield's
angry face, her emotions overiowered
her, and unable to control her burst of
grief, she ran into the empty school
room and threw herself on the sofa,
giving way to the storm of emotion
which shook her slight frame.
The w hole scene had occupied such a
brief space of time that Walter Dauforth
had found no oportunity to speak;
but when Georgiana had b-ft the room,
he told his sister in a few stinging
words his opinion of her unladylike
conduct toward a poor, defenceless girl.
Then leaving Julia drow ned iu a storm
of angry tears, he went to look for the
victim of her assault.
"Georgiana," said a low, tender
voice, which sent a thrill of joy through
the heart of the weeping girl, "will you
not look up and speak to me, Geor
giana? I love you, dearest. Tell me
that you w ill take the situation of my
governess for the rest of otir lives. I
want to watch over you and protect you
against the sneers and slights which she
put njion you.
"After what your sister said, Mr.
Danforth, I will never, never marry
you," soblied Georgiana, burying her
face deeer in the sofa-cushions.
"Do you not love me, Georgiaua"
To this question there came no re
ply, and Walter bent over her, and lift
ing her head pillowed it on his breast.
"Oh, Walter Mr. Danforth, I mean
recollect that I am 'only an ugly
governess.' "
Don't pain me, Georgiana, by saying
such things."
What persuasions and arguments
w ere used to overrule Georgiana's ol-
jeetions I do not know, but there was a
very quiet wedding a few weeks later,
aud a very happy bridal couple left ou
a tour to Europe.
Mrs. Litchfield now thinks it imma
terial w hether . her governesses are
are homely or pretty, for, as she is fond
of telling her friends : "My Idolized
brptlier married the ugliest governess
that ever tanght, and, oh, my dear he
was just too handsome. '
Importance f Good Manner.
Saying rude things, or running peo
ple down, springs not so much from ill-
nature as from that vanity that would
rather lose a friend than a joke. Ou
this point Mr. Johnson once remarked :
"Sir, a man has no more right to say
an uncivil thing than to act one no
more right to say a rude: thing to an
other than to knock him down." The
vain egotism that disregards others is
sliow u iu various impolite ways; as,
for instance, by neglect of propriety iu
dress by the absence of cleanliness, or
indulging in repulsive habits. Some
think themselves so wellborn so clever
or so rich, as to lie above caring what
others say and think of them. It is
said that the ancient kings of Egypt
used to commence sjieeches to their
subjects with the formula: "By the
head of Pharaoh, ye are all sw ine."
We need not wonder that those w ho
take this sw ine theory of their neigh
bors should lie careless of setting their
tastes and feelings at defiance. Con
trast such puppyism with the conduct
of David Aucilloii, a famous Huguenot
preacher, one of whose motives for
studying his sermons w ith the greatest
care "that it was show ing too little es
teem for the public to take no Kiius in
preiaration, and that a man w ho should
appear ou a cereineiiial day in his night
cap and dressiug-gow n could not colli;
tn It a greater breach of civility." "Spite
and ill nature," it has been said "are
among the most luxuries of life;" and
this is true for none of us can atl'ord to
surround himself w ith a host of ene
mies we are sure to make if, when
young, we allow ill-nature to produce
in us unmannerly habits. Good man
ners, like good words, cost nothing,
and are worth everything. What ad
vantage, for instance did the lunik-seller
on whom Dr. Johns ou once called
to solicit employment get from his
brutal reply ; "Go buy a nirler's knot
and carry trunks " The surly nature
of -tu h men prevents them from ever
entertaining angels unawares. It is
ditlii-lilt to see how the "iiatural-lMiru
fool" ran ever hiqie lo he well man
nered, for w ithoul good scnef or rather
tact, a man must continually make a
loot oi himsell iu society. li v are
w omen, as a rule, better mannered than
men .' JSccaiise their greater syiiiatny
and power of quicker intuition give to
them quieker, tiller tact. Xor is talent
w hich know s w hat to do of nun It use,
if the tact Ik- wanting which -hoiild en
able us to s-e how to do it. He w ho
i.-is talent without tact is like the mil
lionaire who never has a penny of
ready money aliout him. Mr. Smiles
illustrates the difference lictwecn a man
of quick tact and of no tart w hatever
bv an interview w hich -he savs once
took place lictwecn Lord I'ainierston
mid Mr. Belines the sculptor. At the
last sitting which Lord Palnierstou
gave him, Behnes oM-ued the conver
sation with: "Any news, my lord from
France? How do we stand with Louis
Xapoleon V" The foreign secretary
raised his eyebrow s for an instant, and
quickly replied : 'Really, Mr Behnes.
I don't know: I have not seen the news
paiiers!'' Behnes, with much talent,
was one of the many men w ho entirely
missed their way in life through want
of tact.
Uepluibab. The Story of an 01I-Uh-itinef
Lover.
She was an old maid and her name
was Ilephzibab,
Heplizibab ! The parents who can be
ferocious enough to indict such a name
upon their cfF-pring, ought to lie spiked
upon the ragged edge of remorse,
ground to powder iu the mill of self
condemnation, and blown to the four
winds of heaven by an outraged pro
geny. If, in the earlier period of a blasted
life, our Ilephzibab had ever been the
delight of any male creature's heart,
there were no traces left upon her face,
to record the happy effect of having
been the object of such an emotion.
But appearances are -deceptive, you
know; for there was a time in Hephzi
bab's life, when the lilies bowed
sweetly at her approach, and the roses
hurriedly hid their thorns beneath their
trembling foliage, for very shame at
having such cruel "ornaments about
them, iu her presence. Her sprightly
step and flashing eyes gave evidence
that nature was not singing a lullaby
to the pulses that gave the blush to her
cheek, and lent the rapture of love to
her heart; the tendrils of her being
were budding with vigor and beauty,
warmed by the glow of youth and
nursed by the dew of dawning woman-
hord. A measureless depth of love was
in her heart, but fate had yielded her
only the stingiest half-ineasure in which
to garner her abundance, so the rest
part of it ran to waste, and the rest
well, the rest part of it disappeared
somehow, and left us a cross old maid,
whose name was Ilephzibab, whose
dimples had turned to wrinkles, and
whose "beauty spots" had become ugly
warts, bristling with coarse hairs.
Of course there was a man at the bot
tom of it.
He was not a bad man, either; he
was one of those phlegmatic souls who
plod along, content with little, having
ing little to give, and if more fell to him
than he asked for, why surely he
couldn't help It. He was attracted to
the bright, Ilephzibab perhaps her
name had. something to do with it and
she, poor dear, thought he was the
prince of men. In her shy way she
gazed up at him, and colored his dull
stoicism wilb the mat velous charm of
imagination. She imagined that be
neath this calm there raged a grand,
passionate soul in chains the chains
of manliness and honor controlling
waywardness.
She had no smile of encouragement
for others; he was all she wanted, and
he liked her. Oh, yes, he liked her
very well; he sought no other girl's
company. And so a couple or years
passed, and people began to wonder, as
people will, 1rhy that pair did not
marry. But Hephzlbab was so happy.
She lived and thrived upon the memory
of one little kiss, and the expectation of
many mor soms time.
The 1.
only dip
drum in
accident.; They I.
walking lo.
he stupid as
glory from u
know herself c.
riving at her doo. , uie act oi leaving
her, his mutter-of-fact eye espied that
the fastening of her breast-pin had be
come undone. As he called her atten
tion to it, the pin fell both stooped to
recover it; their heads and bauds met,
and the next moment they were
startled by the realization that their
lips had met, somehow.
One moment he held her hand, say
ing: "How very sweet you are, Ilephzi
bab!" and that was all.
The next time he came she quivered
and trembled and felt very nervous.
There was no occasion for It. When
the old couple began to yawn and
stretch, previous to toddling off to bed,
he took his hat and toddled off home,
merely soppting long enough, after they
were gone, to hold her hand and say,
"good-night." The following evening
he came as usual, and this was repeated
for another season, until one night he
said:
"Ilephzibab, good-by."
Why ! Are you going to leave
town ?"
"Yes. I've Invested in some land in
the territories. It Is not probable that
I shall ever come back."
He put on his hat and was gone.
Hephzibab's heart gave one awfnl
throb, and then shriveled up with Its
lovely luxury of kindliness.
And the years passed away, taking
away father, mother and friends, but
left "Bab. that hateful dried-up old
maid," and all her memories embittered
by the humiliating consciousness that
she had given the full measure of a
woman's love to one who had not asked
for it.
She was standing Iu the door of her
cottage one evening, the hush of twi
light softly falling upon the landscape,
when she suddenly found herself facing
her lover of long ago.
"Ilephzibab."
"You!" she exclaimed with a gasp
and a snap.
"Yes, it's me, Ilephzibab."
"What do you want?"
"You, Ilephzibab. The kiss you
once gave me has haunted me through
all these years, and lingered near me
like a sweet strain of music. But oh,
woman, I want another."
Involuntarily his arms went out to
her as he spoke. And notwithstanding
her name, Ilephzibab was only a wo
man. Amen.
The Electrir LiKht In fort reuse.
The committee appointed by the Em
jieror of Russia to carry out certain ex
ieriments with electric lights in order
to ascertain w hich of the machines sub
mitted to tlietn best fulfilled certain
given conditions, and also to determine
how far it would lie desirable to intro
duce the electric lights into Russian
fortresses, has recently published its
reisirt. The exjierimeiits were con
ducted in the fortresses of Xovogeor
gievsk and Brest-Litovski, with the
follow ing results. I'sing the magneto
electric light SMpplied by the Alliance
Company, it w as found that iu clear
weather wliite targets could lie plainly
discerned at a distance of 1.500 metres.
At 1,000 metres a sunken battery was
plainly visible, and also men working
in its ditch. At 7"i0 metres the tools of
the workmen could lie made out. Iu
wet or cloudy weather, however objucts
could not lie seen at a greater distance
than ."ioO or sHI metres. At the same
time two other machines were tried,
the one a Gramme dynamiw-Iectric
light, the other an apparatus designed
by Count Alteneck and constructed by
Siemens. But the latter gave lictter
results than the Alliance machine.
Moreover, they lire less costly, and pos
sess the great advantage of being of
smaller dimension aud easily moved
from place to place ; wherea it took
twenty-two men, superintended by an
experienced iion-coiiimis.-ioiicd olllcer,
from ten to twelve hour to set up the
Alliance apparatus. The committee
consequently recommend that, while
the latter machine is retained at Xovo-
georgievsk, Isrest-I.itovski, anil hron
stadt, w here it is already erected, and
w here the men are exjiert in its use, a
sufficient number of the Alteneck apwi-
ratus lie ordered to supply one to every
Russian fortress, and that an ollicer
and an intelligent non-commissioned
officer lie sent from each place to St.
Petersburg to receive instruction in the
manipulation and use of the machine.
I se of Volcanoes.
Since we now have an active volcano
in the United Status, the subterranean
disturbances of our neighbors will be
gin to be of some interest to us. Many
of the Mexican volcanoes have been
silent ever since the discovery of Amer
ica, and others are ou record as having
flamed out for the last time shortly
after the Spanish invasion. Among
those that had the longest quiet was the
mountain Ceboruco; but in 1370 it
broke forth after a sleep of centuries.
It has been noticed that earthquakes,
formerly frequeut in its vicinity, have
not taken place since its last eruption,
aud there is a notion that the vent given
by the volcano has served as a relief to
pent-up gases and materials that other
wise would have caused disturbance.
If this theory holds good, California
may be saved from another earth-shaking
by the activity of the yet unnamed
volcano in her southeastern corner.
The eruption is said to have taken place
about sixty miles north of Yuma. That
place always bad a queer reputation.
There is a story of the ghost of a dead
soldier being interrogated by the spirit
rapping process as to whether his pre
sent abode was hot. "Yes," was the
reply, "it's awful; but it isu't any hot
ter thui Fort Yuma."
Very few have sense enough to de
spise the praise of a fool.
death of him who
plant was the mandragora of the i - .
the mandrake of scripture, a species of
the Soliiwr or nightshade tribe; the be
lief in whose qualities as a sedative or a
charm was as old as the days of the
childless Rachel. Indigenous ta the
East, where probably its uses as an an
odyne aud soporific were early known
to the initiated, it may be that in order
to enhance the wonder of its effects and
prevent the extirpation of the root by
its too common use, miraculous powers
were imputed to it, and superstition
hedged it round with fabled terrors.
The evil reputation of the plant pro
cured it subsequently the name of At
Tti tutimlniiont, by which our oldest
botanist distinguish it; a name bor
rowed from the most terrible of the
Fates, Atropos, ami since transferred
to its relative, Atnyta ocioni (dwale,
or "deadly nightshade.") So potent
and valuible were 'he medical uses of
the root at a time when few anody
nes were known, that the ancient
Romans made it the subject of a weird
ritual, without which they would have
deemed it impious to have taken it from
the earth. The operator stood with his
back to the wind, drew three circles
round the root with a point of a sword,
poured a libation on the ground, and,
turning to the west, began to dig it up.
The root of the mandrake, a plant with
a tap root, frequently forked, as we see
that of the radish, and covered with
fibrous rootlets, was easily convertible
into a grotesque likeness of the human
form. In the times of Henry VIII. and
Elisabeth, little images made of mand
rake roots, called alruwt, were impor
ted in large number from Germany,
and found a ready sale in England. The
fable of the wondrous powers of these
vegetable idols was easily accepted by
our superstitious ancestors, and the
pedlers w ho traveled about from place
to place w ith cases of them drove a
brisk trade. Sir Francis Bacon had
them iu his mind's eye when he wrote,
"Some plants there are, but rare, that
have a mossy or dow ny root, and like
wise that have a number "of thread-like
beards, as the mandrake, whereof
witches and impostors make an ugly
image, giving it the form of of a face at
top of the root, leave those strings to
make a broad beard to the foot." It is
to the credit of the old herbalists, Ger
ard and Turner, that they both essayed,
without fear of consequences, to dig up
and examine for themselves the dreaded
mandrake, and lost no time In publish
ing the fallacy of the weird stories told
of it.
The Mnrvel ami lieaulie of I'uget ounl.
"Kate Heath" writes from Puget
Sound to the Sacramento Vuion: Mount
Baker upon one hand, Mouut Ranier
upon the oilier, while a host of lesser
elevations sw ing swiftly past the vis
Ion, and chains of lofty mountains
cloaKed in blue mist staik somberly
across the horizon. The nearer hills
are ridged with pines, that bristle uion
their backbones like spikes, and at the
base are dense w ith underbrush. All
day we sit upon the deck with scarce a
word to each other, and watch the
course of the vessel and listen to the
sharp commands of the pilot.
The heavens are blue, forever melting
into deejier blue, and snow-white clouds
resting upon the mountain tops reach
up and up. as if grasping at the zenith.
The water is so still and smooth, and
seaweed drifts and drifts, and whale
birds, perched upon a fallen stem, float
away with the tide. It doesn't seem as
if these wave could ever swallow one;
they look so beautiful, so strong in their
expanse, almost it encourages one to
walk upon the waters. In the ship's
w ike they curl aud twist like gnarled
lots of trees, like the faces that some
times start out f clouds or air or dis
eased imagination, and they take upon
themselves the form of thing seen and
shape of things unseen. The shores
which encompiss our changing path
are green, such vivid, lovely green, not
the duil and dusty leafage of the south
ern coast, but the bright, emerald
shade of the north, which no speck of
du-t, no profaning spot of dirt can
reach, washed perpetually as they are
by the restless, arms of the Pacific
What thousand nooks hide in the hearts
of these islands; what heavy silence
broods under the boughs of the trees
which are in their centers; what inspi
ration awaits the tender wooer here.
To me it is like a wonderful and mul
tiplied Lake George of loftier moun
tains and more rugged beauty, un.
spoiled by bands of music, undesecrated
by the light laughs, the r utiles and
fashionable etiquette which hover over
the places of resort in the East. Seward
has called this grand sound "the Medi
terranean of the West." We
came into Seattle the other night about
sundown; as pretty a little place, built
upon the side of a hill, as you will find
hereabout. A forest of pine trees seems,
from a distance, to stand in the way of
the main street, but a nearer view
showed that it was but a partition be
tween the two towns. As we approached
we coul l see men and boys running
toward the water's edge, and by the
time the Panama scraped against the
wharf a perfect sea of faces was up
turned, and we, not to be outdone, in
our turn leaned over the rail and stared.
It was to Seattle you will remember,
that Capt Mercer took his much-talked-of
cargo of females upon the steamer
Constitution some eleven years ago. In
one of the prettiest houses to be seen
from the wharf lives one of the ladies
who came out with Capt. Mercer, now
well and happily married. But that
was all in the early days of Seattle.
Just in the late dusk we strolled away
into the town, and in my memory it is
devoted to cake and strawberries, shade
trees and sawdust. And we have been
richness, and then we i.
and steamed away into laziness
Georgian Bay, past Frazer River, past
Rosario Straits, past the Island of San
Juan, over which England and Amer
ica had so much dispute, but which
King William adjudged to our United
States.
Mount Baker still now gleams in the
distance like a hale aud hearty old fel
low. His head is half the time cur
tained in the clouds, and his sides are
ribbed and seamed and covered with
snow. But he reaches out and gathers
unto himself a hundred little hills that
nestle up to him aud cling about him
aud take upon their brows the snow he
shakes from bis shoulders, an J so he is
like a great pearl set around as in a
brooch with a dozen of smaller size.
Very beautiful is he to see as the eve
ning shade falls over biiu, and it is as
though he were gathering his mantle
of dreams around him and all the world
were hushed in shadow. But Ranier
stands like a grand old man, a bald
king of the Xorth, Lear alone in the
wilderness. Yet stay ; Cordelia's love
Lear never was without, and here upon
the left of Ranier steals timidly a little
mountain, trembling and fearful, to
his side and upward turns its gaze to
receive a gleam of reflected light from
the snow-white crest of this king of the
Olympians who lilts his head in its
pride above the clouds, and in his
grandeur dwarfs the mountains. Like
a frozen tear upon the horizon be has
been with us for two days, now before,
now behind, now to the right, now to
the left, and again confronting us as
we wind in and out and cruise about
the shore. In the morning we see the
red light of the sun crimsoning his bare
herd, and in the evening here is a blue
veil let down between us, and the glow
ing sun shining through it to cast over
Mount Ranier, grandest of mountains,
a pale and lovely robe of orange. We
turn and look, and, lo! Mount Baker
flushes into morning brightness, and all
his little hills, aud in the evening he
yellows with the sun. while the flock
over which he keeps watch like a
shepherd, yellows, too, In sympathy
with his kindly face.
Thertwth of ChiMren.
The grow th of children haslieen made
the subject of very ingenious and origi
nal researches through some 2.",000
nieiisiiremeiitsof the children in the pub
lic schools of this city, by Trot". Bow
ditch, of the Harvard Medical School,
aud published by the State Board of
Health. His summary of the most im
portant results he has obtained i a
follows:
The grow th of childreu takes place iu
such a w ay that until the age of 11 or 12
years Iwiys are both taller and heavier
than girls of the same age, but at this
period of life girls begin to grow" very
rapidly, and for the next two or three
year siirjKiss hoys of the same age in
both height and w eight. Hoy then ac
quire and retain a sie siiM-rior to that
of girls, w ho have now nearly completed
their full growth. Children liorn of
American bom parent are in Massa
chusetts tallerand heavier than children
of foreign iMirn parents, a superiority
which seems to ilcM-nd partly on the
greater average comfort in which
such children live and grow up, and
partly iihiii difference of raii fir stock.
Pupils of American parentage at the
public Latin school and other higher
schools are (apparently for the same
reasons) siiM-rior in height ami weight
to the generality of Imvs of American
parentage in the public school- and to
English boy of the non-laboring class
attending public schools and universi
ties, the iiieriority in weight being as
a rule more marked than that in height.
It will lie seen that several popular
delusion of long standing are here dis-M-I1ed.
and the regulation of physical
and mental training so much the better
guided. The value and iinortani-e of
the conclusions however, a re diminished
by the very fact that ihey are unique,
and other communities have a yet no
similar statistics. When such basis of
comparaou has lieen supplied, the in
fluence of geographical and climatic
coudilioii ou grow ing children may be
discovered, the numlier of generations
in w hich climatic changes are accom
plished, the effect, if any, of the season
of the year, the comparative effect of
city and of country life, Ac. lu-0w
Trnuse.riyt.
What they do in Africa.
Cameron's "Across Africa" says that
on the death of a Urua chief it is the
custom "to divert the course of a
stream, and in its bed to dig an enor
mous pit, the bottom of which is then
covered with living women. At one
end a woman Is placed on her hands
and knees, and upon her back the dead
chief, covered with his beads aud treas
ures, is seated, being supported on
either side by one of his wives, while
his second wife sits at his feet. The
earth is then shoveled in on them, and
all the women are buried alive, with
the exception of the second wife. To
her, custom Is more merciful than to
her companions, and grants her the
privilege of being killed before the
huge grave Is filled in. This being
completed, a number of male slaves
sometimes 40 or 50 are slaughtered
and their blood poured over the grave,
after which the river is allowed to re
sume its course."
The members of the Atlanta, (Ga.)
bar are going to establish a new bar in
that city, by donating the sum of $500
for building a fountain in the City Hall
Park.
Hope for the future, and regret for
the past, forms a large share of the
world a pnliosopny.
dollars .A ,cn ---,
beKgiiiJ 'of two hundred dollars.
purchased a diamond to-day for titty
milrel. or about tweuty-five dollars lu
of United States money already cut,
which would bring, perhaps, one hun
dred and fifty dollars iu the United
States. It does not pay to work in the
lavrirs, or washings, uuless a man ha
much capital, machinery and slaves to
do the work. AH the superficial dia
monds have been takea out, and the
earth for hundreds of miles is turned
upside down for diamonds and gold.
What Is necessary now is machinery to
go into the bowels of the earth to turn
the current of vast rivers in order to
reach the rich cactlho, many yard
deep, and to blast mighty rock. A
man working with a pick and crowbar
does not gain his mush, which here is
far cheaper than salt, it is true they
take out now and then a diamond, an J
also a little gold, but it Is precarious
labor. There are six fabricm Je lapulu
eao, or diamond-cutting establishment
in this city, where the bruu, or rough
diamonds, are cut aud prepared for
market. Diamond-cutting is one of the
simplest and easiest things in the world.
The machinery for cutting is simply a
flat, revolving surface, or lathe, turning
as a potter's lathe, only the wheel is of
the best tempered steel. First, tvo
diamonds are placed in the end of a
stick shaped like that used by jewelers
to clean finger-ring, and secured there
by a wax which hardens with heat, and
are then rubbed, one against the other,
to remove the hard outer cout, and also
to give it the desired form. This rub
biugformsa dust, w ithout w hich dia
monds could not be cut. After the
above operation is finished the diamon l
is placed in a mold, shaped like the half
of an egg-shell, in which there Is a com
position of solder and lead in a state of
fusion. The diamond is buried In this
composition, except the part to be pol
ished. This composition when cool be
comes very hard. The tliamoud is now
ready for polishing and reducing to a
salable state. It is placed in what is
called a lacthiti'. which allows the ex
posed surface to rest on the above
mentioned revolving surface or wheel
on which is rubbed w ith a feather from
time to time, a composition of the dia
mond-dust 1 spoke of, and sweet oil.
This causes the lustre of the diamond.
and perfects the shape. After leaving
this wheel it pase to an emery, w here
it receives the finishing-touches. A
diamond is heated to white heat a great
many times in the process of cutting.
duch does not allect it in the least. A
lapidary can cut or polish three or four
stones at the same time. The work in
itself is "nothing, and an ordinary
minded youth with any taste can learn
the business in six or ten month.
Diamond-cutting certainly docs not a til
much to the actual cost of a diamond.
An aveiage diamond will cost from six
to ten diillars for the cutting. I saw a
diamond the other day, in the '..-iVi of
a friend, for which a man :t--ked thre
contos, or fifteen hundred dollars. This
was before it was cut. I saw it again to
day, after it was cut, and three hundred
dollars will buy it because of the color.
Many diamonds show defects after cu
ting which before cannot te seen.
Diamentiua is one of the oldest town-.
in Brazil, and was originally called
Tipica. It is a very pretty city, or
rather was iu its palmy days. Ou all
sides are to be seen painful vestiges of
once great wealth. Houses which
cost twenty thousand dollars a few
years ago can be bought to day for oue-
fourth that amount. But who care to
buy property in a town which offer ii.
advantages whatever, which is hun
dreds of miles from civilization and is
to be reached only by mules, through a
country where r-oads are unknown.
rivers are to be forded, and hill after
hill, and mountain after mountain are
succeeded by still larger ones. Dia
mentina is from twenty days to a month
from Juiz de Fora, the nearest present
railroad point. It costs about thirty
dollars for every mule-loud of stuff
which comes from there, making things
very dear. A loaf of wheat bread weigh
ing four ounces costs twelve i-en's. You
may be sure that very little is r.tteu.
The food of this country is corn-meal,
black beans, farina of mandrake, a root
shaped like a parsnip, which, r-oi -on in
its natural state, makes a very god
substitute for bread after it is washed,
dried and ground into a coarse sort of
meal. Eaten with beans which to thi
country are what potatoes are to Ireland
it makes a very passable food, which 1
have grown to like very much. Dia
mentiua is delightfully situated, sur
rounded by mountains on three sides,
ranged like grim sentinels, w ith their
gray peaks reaching toward the skies.
From the fourth side, to which my
window faces, I can see for eighty
miles, where the peak ot Itajuba stands
head and shoulders above the rest. This
city has about ten thousand inhabitants,
and houses for half as many more, the
owners of which have departed to seek
their fortunes in other parts.
The Irtflerenee.
Some suppose that every learue-I uuu
la an educated man. Xo such thing.
That man is educated who knows him
self, and takes accurate common-sene
views of men and things around him.
Some very learned men are the greatest
fools in the world; the reason is they
are not educated men. Learning is
only the means, not the end ; Its value
consUvS in giving the means of acquir
ing, the use of which, if properly man
aged, enlightens the mind.
t -i