A.- iSliSilM' Hiv I t B. F. SCIIWEIER, THE C05STITUTI05 THE TJUI02T-ASD THE EJTTOBCIJlXJiT OP THE LAWS. Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XXXII. MIFFLIMWX, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA., WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1S7S. NO. 2S. I I i I i I i 5 i SPRI5G FEYIR. I know where summer woods are green. Where aummer shade is dark and deep. Where f rondage forms a cooling screen. Where wide-leaved lilies lie asleep, Aud where the early blossoms blow ; I know, I kuow, bat cannot go. I know where laughing waters fall. Where sapphire summer lakes are spread. Where merry springs are musical, AnJ brooks with fountains at the head, And where the lordly rivers flow, 1 know, I know, but cannot go. I know where birds delight to sing. Where suirmls chatter at their play. Where bees sweep by on busy wing. Where fragrance tills the dying day. And fireflies tparkle to and fro, I know, I know, but cannot go. I know where ocean airs are free. Where salt waves daah u)on the beach, . Where bright Bails glisten o'er the sea. Where rock and sand strange lessons teach llo k dark as death, saud white as uow, I know, I kuow, but cannot go. This wilderness of enow and brick Kufolds me still from day to day ; Mv soul is sad, my heart is sick. And yet I cannot slip away To pleasant places that I know, I kuow, I know, but cannot go. A Nest of Tigers. In tlie year 1SU3 I was traveling in the province of Bengal on business con nected with a large cotton manufactur ing house in Main best r. I was sent as a judge of cotton, to buy up the best that could be found, in order to supply the demand arUing from the failure of the American market. lirown, Jones A Co., footed all my lulls, ami 1 must say that 1 enjoyed my trip. I should have enjoyed it much more but for the intense heat of the weather. This caused me much distress in the middle of the day, and at such times 1 have lieeii compiled to halt and repose under the shade of the stately Intajan, bv the lnmlcrs of some roadside tank. .My bearers made no objections to these halts, but, on the contrary, en joyed them. I was travelling by JuH, a it is termed in India, having relays ..I'lioarers to carry my palanquin from village to village. This method of journeying is one of the uio-t luxurious in the world, as the motion is so easy and gentle as to dis ;,s,. ne to sleep. All the comforts you can need are carried in the palanquin. The only improvement on it that I know of is the Xile-boat, with its Insu rious cabin; or a rich man's yacht. I'.oth these are very esiieusive luxuries; w iiereas .f.riri- traveling is as cheap as a rail v.'ay. After going iiImiiiI for some time on the great cotton estates, and buying many valuable crops for my employers at favorable ore Jits, I legan to think of returning homeward. I was stopping at the time on the estate of Mr. , me of our best customers, a rich Scotchman, who had immigrated to India to start cotton-farming, and suc ceeded well, like his countrymen all the world over. M r. insisted that I should stay a week, now that our business was done, and he would show me some -port. Knowing that a week more or less in my departure would make but little difference, since my cotton was on its road to Calcutta, I accepted his in vitation, and passed a very pleasant week, shooting the multifarious kinds of game that thronged the neighboring jungles. lutsi.le the cotton fields lay a narrow bolt of wood towards the south, separat ing Mr. 's estate from the patches of" rice, and the paddy fields of the iieighlMiring "not. These fields stretched for the next two hundred yards, and were then lost in the thick jungle, the home of wild hogs, pea-fowls, and various other winged and four-footed game. Hares and foxes were plenty, and my host had two or three braces of magnificent Fnglish greyhounds, with which we enjoyed splendid sjwrt. 1 wis also shown the native Indian sport of hawking, practiced with the Indian peregrine falcon known as the hithrr. ; where the great lead-colored stork, the vra, with his crimson head and neck, was chased down and killed by a hawk half Lis size. I shot numerous peacocks and black breasted florikens, and went out hunt ing the wild boars, or "pigsticking," as it is now termed in India. I had many risky adventures, out of which I luckily came scot free, both with hogs and snakes; but the climax of all was one that I should stumble on by accident one morning, and which came near costing me my life. I had started from the house about an hour before daybreak to reach n certain tank about live miles off, where I was informed that game was very plentiful, a- the tank was a regular watering place. Mr. 's chief rJkoH-arwe, or hunts- man , wont with me as a guide, and 1 warned to keen in the oien ground, wa and avoid the jungle, as the place was very tigerish." and ardent as I was. It was the chosen wish of my heart to ste a tiger a filing I Wl not yet succeeded in doing in the daytime. Thinking that 1 should probably meet one coin ing home from his nocturnal stroll if I arrived early enough, I took my Henry rifle along with me, resolved to bag one ifKssible. I had knocked overtooinany grizzlies on the prairies to.be afraid of a sneak ing tiger. I was destined, as the sequel will show, to have a surfeit of tigers; and if it had not ln-en for the aid of my trusty "rejieater," I should now be telling no story. Mohammed, the shikkaree, stole softly along by my side in the gray dusk of the moruing, bearing his long match lock on his shoulder, and as noiseless as a ghost, with his bare feet. A tultcar, or curved sword, as keen as a razor. nung ny his side, and be bore at his back a bundle of whatdovou think? by, skyrockets. nai in tne world do you want with these rockets, Mohammed ?" asked I curiously. "Do you expect to scare the beasts of the forest out of their wits?" "Sahib shall see," replied Moham med, quietly. "Sahib tell Mohammed take good care of Sahib, this morning. He go very dangerous. Tiger much angry if disturbed at sleep. Sahib get eat up if no carry rocket !" "Nonsense. Mohammed," I replied "What in thunder is the use of those things? They won't kill any one. And here's old 'Sweet Sixteen' worth more than all the bundle." By "Sweet Sixteen" I meant my six-teen-shooting Henry rifle, my compan ion in several hunts. ' "Sahib shall see," replied Moham med. "Maybe glad to have rocket near by soon." I ceased to argue with Mohammed, and we proceeded iu silence along the path. The east all aglow with the fer vent blush that heralds the rising sun, the dew was sparkling on every tree and bush in the jungle, and myriads of birds wore singing their moruiii melo dies of praise to their Creator. We walked briskly along the road that wound through the jungle to the lonely tank, and just as we arrived there, up leaped the broad red sun, pouring a blazeof gold on the surface of the water. 'The tank was an Immense artificial reservoir, built iu times past by some pious prince to preserve the blessing of abundant water iu that dry climate. As we came near it was all alive with water-fowls. Ducks aud wild geese innumerable, of various bright colors, swain to and fro, gabbling loudly. Peacocks screamed discordantly from the encircling jungle, and monkeys aud parrots kept up their harsh chorus. At the further end of the tank, nearly a quarter of a mile long, stood a huge elephant, drinking peacefully, while seyeral herds of deer and ante lope stood near aud shared the enjoy ment. I plainly saw that it was useless to approach by the trout, and therefore, motioning to Mohammed to follow me, I plunged into the jungle, intending to make a circuit aud intercept the ele phant. lint I had miscalculated the dillicul ties of t lie path. Ere long 1 had lost the direction of the tank, hidden so from view iu the thick jungle, and was wandering I knew not where, among copses of low bushes intersiK-rsed w ilh taller treesand little open glades, where the coarse yellow ri grass lay mat ted all over ttie ground. I toiled on for some time, thinking I was parallel with the the tank, but I could see no opening anywhere, aud at last I turned around to inquire the way of my follower. But Mohammed had disappeared. Whether he was scared at my temerity in venturing alone into a tiger-haunted jungle, or had failed to keep up wilii me on ac count of his heavier load I could not tell. All I knew was that I was alone, and lost iu the jungle. I began to fool a little nervous, but I poo-hoohed the thought of danger, aud would remember the direction to the tank, I thought, and pushed toward it. 1 tried to calculate the distance of the snn by this time from the east, and started in the direction I thought the tank ought to be. I stole cautiously and quietly on. not daring to make much noise on account of the snpiosed vicinity of tigers, and began to flatter myself I should reach the tank safely, when I suddenly halted spellbound. Right before me, within teu feet, lay a huge royal tiger, as large as an ox, fast asleep. The old rascal had leen out all night, I and was enjoying his morning nap, curled up like an old tabby cat. He I had not heard my footstejis, aud I halted in dead silence. He lay right in my path, and I could not pa.- him with out waking him. I was afraid to lose my direction, for fear 1 might wander ad infinitum in the devious tangled jungle. Still I could not pass oi with out disturbing the tiger. I would have tried a bullet, but, from the position in which he lay, I should have probably missed his brain or heart. 1 stepped softly back to retreat, keeping my gaze fixed on the tiger, when, as luck would have it, my very first step brought me on a dry stick, which snapped in two with a loud noise. In an instant the tiirer awoke. Only partially, however, lie was dazed with the light in his eyes, and danced around with an inquiring stare. No time was to be lost. I was not twelve feet from the huge brute, and well within his spring. I sent "Sweet Sixteen" to my shoulder, aud aimed right between the fierce, green eyes, as the tiger half rolled up on his side with his head raised. As I pulled the trigger, the flash and smoke obscured everything from my vision for a moment, but I heard no sound; and as the smoke cleared away, I be held the striped monarch of the jungle lying dead before me. But I had scarcely time to note this, when, horrors on horrors I up started five tigers within a radius of twenty or thirty feet, and stood staring at me with apparent astonishment: They could not have leon more astonished than I was see them. The striied coat of the tiger, bril liant as it appears, is yet so well suited to the color of the jungle, as to ke well nigh invisible. Hence my ignoranceof the proximity of the beasts. My hair began to rise right up on my head at the idea of my danger, as I surveyed these five monsters, any one of them being able to gobble me up at a meal and want more. But I bad not fought "Old Ephe" among the Kooky Mountains to give up even among such straits. "Sweet Sixteeu" had the lever reversed and a new charge in the bar rel before you could say "J k Robin- on. ' I took a steady aim a. the tiger immediately in front of me, and bowled h.m over as dead as a door nail. His companions started as they saw him fall, and taking advantage of the pause. 1 dashed forward over his dead body towards the tank. My flight was the signal for pursuit Scarcely had I cleared the dead tiger, when four simultaneous roars of auger greeted my ears, and I could hear the crash of the falling bodies as all four sprang for the spot I had just vacated So eager were they that they fell one against the other. But they were di appointed in their leaps, and, like all felines, looked ashamed, and hesitated about taking another. I saw that boldness was my only sal vation. I was only six feet from the foremost tiger, and pointing my gun at his broad forehead, I had the satisfac tion of seeing him bite the dust. What I should have done with the other three I cannot tell, for they were taken off my bauds very unexpectedly. A sudden hissing and sputtering arose close by, aud a fiery-tailed monster shot through the air into the midst of the three tigers, blowing up with loud report immediately between the two rearmost. You ought to have seen those creat- u res get. The rocket took all the fight out of them in a moment, scared them almost to death. All three galloped off, with their tails swelled out to three times their natural size with terror while I stood laughing unrestraiuedlv at the ludicrous figure cut by my lately formidable opjioueuts. Mohainme J, the shikkaree, had proved my salvation, lie had been hunting for me when lie heard my first shot close by, and hastened to the sjiot to be of assistance if possible. He had just arrived in the nick of time. His rockets proved even more efficacious than my bullets, and I learnt a lesson, not to go too far into the jungle alone again, for fear I might fall unawares into another lest of tigers. Some Obttervations on Good Breeding. Gentlemen in the street car should always put one leg upon, the other, sticking the foot in the way of passen ger, aud rub their clothes against it. Gentlemen may be recognized by this. It shows that regard for the rights and comfort of others which is the princi ple ot true politeness, and tne sign of home breeding. Gentlemen at the theatre, while the orchestra is playing, should talk loud, forcing their rasping voices (these gen tlemen always have rasping voices) so as to overcome the music. This makes all in the vicinity comfortable, particu larly those that have musical sensa tions. And iu geueral what this style of gentlemen have to say is far more interesting to those thereabout than any music. Gentlemen who take young ladies to a theatre, opera or concert, should en tertain thein with talk while the per formance is going on. Having paid a dollar or two, they have a right to get their money's worth. To suppose that any play or mnsic can be as interesting as their talk is prejiosterous. Love making cannot stop for the rights of audience; for the earth must lie peo pled. Aud to the young woman these are businessopportunities in husbandry which she must not. neglect. Business before pleasure is her motto. Gentlemen should always spit. That which distinguishes man from all other beasts is that he spits. Spitting is al ways in order. At the theatre, concert, oera or lecture, the sound of its squir ting and the spat of its fall on the floor give a wholesome sensation to all round. A person of a scientific turn of mind, who timed a spitting gentleman behind him at the theatre, lound that the squirt and the dash occurred twice a minute. Aud he was only a moder ately accomplished gentlemen. The spitting gentlemen should al ways spit toward others, either the one who sits next, or across the aisles, or on the opMsite side of the car. It is fair to say that the spitting gentleman rarely neglects this polite attention, which prefers others to himself in his ejections. The elementary rule of po liteness is to have the same considera tion for the feelings of others as for your own. The spitting gentlemen carry out this by making every place as nasty as their own mouths. Japanese Children. One of the first lessons prcsentedto a foreign teacher in Japan is the reason of the great apareiit happiness and lightheadedness of Japanese children. One may walk for hours through the streets Tokio and scarcely ever hear a child's cry of distress. Four principal reasons for this sujeriority of the children of Japan over those of other nations have been suggested by an English lady, resident there. They are worthy of the attention of the teachers at home. The style of clothing, loose and yet warm, is far more comfortable than the dress of our children. Japan ese children are much more out In the oien air and sunshine. The absence of furniture, and, therefore, the absence of the repeatedly given instructions "nof to touch." The thick, soft mat ting, forming at once the carpet and beds of all Japanese bouses, and the raised lintels on to which the children may clamber as they grow strong, con stitutes the vejy beau ideal of an in fant's play-ground. Children in Japan are much petted without being capri ciously thwarted. A child is not culled one moment and indulged the next. To these four most suggestive reasons the writer could add a fifth, which is, that Japanese character is so constituted as to bring their elders into strong sym pathy with the little ones. It has been well said that "Japan is a paradise for babies," for you see old and young playing together, at the battle-door and shuttle-cock in the streets; while on holiday the national amusement of men, women and children is flying huge paper kites. Puppet shows and masquerades also have their votaries in thousands rrora among both sexes and I all ages. Leara Your Business. A young man in a leather store used to feel very impatient with bis employ. er for keeping him, year after year, for three years,' "handling hides." But he saw the use of it in after years, when in an establishment of his own he was able to tell by a touch the exact quality of the goods. It was only by those thousands of repetitions that the lesson was learned, and so it is with every thing in which we acquire skill. The great army of "incapables" is large euough; we would none of us willing ly join its ranks. The half-informed, half-skilled in every business outnum ber the other, dozens to one. It was a good suggestion, worthy of being re membered, which Daniel Webster made to a young man who asked him if there was any "room in the legal profession. "There is always room," said the great statesman. The better you know your business the better your chance to rise. If you drone through your allotted tasks with out keeping a wide awake lookout on all that goes on ab.mt you, your pro gress will lie needlessly slow. You can gather much information by making a wise use of youreyesandears, and per haps be able to surprise your employer in an emergency by stepping into the "next man's" place and discharging his duties satisfactorily. A fine little lad, some twelve years old, was employed in a telegraph office iu a Southern town last year when the yellow fever raged so fearfully ill that section. All the operatives were down with It and others sent on by the com pany were attacked. Xooue knew that the lad understood the business, but be had picked it up and kept up commui- cation between the town and the outer world all the time the fever lasted. Ex-Governor Morgan, of Xew York, was once a clerk iu a store in Water ford. A trip to Xew York was an event in those days, but the young man had proved so faithful that he was en trusted with several commissions. among them being one to buy corn. He came back in due time in the old stage coach, and inquiries were made aliout the corn. The price was verv satisfactory, but the old gentlemen thought it could not le good at so low a price. A handful which the young man pulled from his pocket convinced him, but what was his amazement to find that be had thought two cargoes! 'Why, Edwin, what shall we dr. with it?" he asked in consternation. "I have disposed of all you don't want," said Edwin, ''at an advance. I stopped in the stores as I came along. I could have disposed of three cargoes f I had had them." The profits were clear, aud his em ployer said the next morning, "We will let some one else do the sweeping. ami hdwin was made a partner under twyuty-one. The Terrible Tower, The Tower of London is degraded that is to say, made ordinary by being put to commonplace uses by being ex hibited in a commonplace manner. They use the famous White Tower now as a storehouse for arms. It contains at this minute 100,000 gnus, all in good order, besides a vast collection of old armor and weapons. The arrangement of the latter was made by Planche, the dramatic author, who is famous as an antiquarian and herald. I'nder his in telligent and tasteful direction the effi gies and gear of chivalry are displayed iu such a way that the observer may trace the changes that war fashions have undergone through the reign of succes sive sovereigns of England from the earliest period until now. A suit of armor worn by the detested Henry VIII. is shown, and also a particularly rich suit worn by Charles I. The sug- gestiveness of both figures cannot be missed. X'ature has written brute upon the one, and dissembler uhhi the other, in characters that admit of no doubt. In a room ou the second floor of the White Tower they keep many very gor geous oriental weapons, and they show the cloak in which General Wolfe died on the Plains of Abraham. It Is a gray garment, and the active moth has given it-a share of his personal attention. The most impressive objects to be seen here, however, are the block and axe that were used in killing the traitor lords of Kilmarnock, Lovetaud Balmeriuo, after the defeat of the Pretender in 1G45. The block is made of ash, and there are big and cruel dents ujon it which show that it was made for use rather than or nament. It is harmless, however, now, aud this writer was allowed to place his head upon it in the manner pre scribed for the victims of decapitation. The door of Raleigh's bedroom, is just opposite these baleful relics, and it is said his History of the World was writ ten iu the room in which these imple ments are now such conspicuous objects of gloom. The whole place is gloomy and cheer less beyond expression, and very grea must have been the fortitude of the fortitude of the man who bore in this grim solitnde a captivity of thirteen years not failing to turn it to the best account by producing a book so marvel ous for its learning, philosophy and eloquence. A ridiculous "beef eater," arrayed in a dark tunic and trousers trimmed with red, and a black velvet hat trimmed with bows ot blue and red ribbon, precedes each squad of visitors, and drops information and h's from point to point. "The ard fate of the Ilnrl ofllessex," was found to be a particularly fascinating topic with one of these functionaries; and very hard it was for the listener as well as the earl when standing on the spot where the poor gentleman lost his life by the mad spite of Queen Elizabeth, to hear bis name so often persecuted. This spot Is in the centre of what was once the Tower Grsen, and it is marked with a brass plate, naming Anne Boleyn, and giving the date when she was here be headed. They found her body in narrow box in the tower graveyard. and it now rests with the ashes of noble sufferers under the chapel of St. Peter, about fifty feet from the place of execu tion. The ghost of Anne Boleyn is said to haunt that part of the tower where she lived, and it is likewise said that the spectre of Lady Jane Grey was seen not long ago on the anniversary of the day of her execution, to glide out on the balcony adjacent to the room in which she is known to have lived in at the last of her wasted and unfortunate life. It could serve no good purpose here to relate the particulars of these visita tions; but nobody doubts them while he is in the tower. It is a place of mvsterv and horror, notwithstanding all that the practical spirit of to-day can do, and has done, to degrade it am! that's much. Life in Italy. The Italians live very simply. The country people are content with a diet which most. American farmers would despise. They have four necessaries of life, the supply of which is a'. ways first considered bread, maccaroni, oil and wine. The ordinary bread is coarse and rather dark, but decidedly more nutritious than that made from our finely-bolted American flour. We im agine that bread is good in proportion as it is tefute, and thus lose much of its best property. The Italians sometimes cook maccaroni in salt and water, from necessity ; but, whenever possible, in meat and broth, with the addition of cheese and tomatoes. The olive oil. which each farmer makes for himself, is far better and wbolesomer than lard; in fact, it is almost equal to fresh but ter. hatever is fried in it Is sweet, palatable and easily digested. A great many Americans, knowing olive oil only as a medicine, shudder when they hear it spoken of as an article of food. Yet I have often seen them, in Italy, heartily relishing their chops, and omeletts, and fried fish, without the least suspicion of the fact that much of the flavor was due to the oil. Wine onions and oil, to a great extent, sup ply the place of meat; but eggs and fish are also plentiful, and usually cheap The flesh of pigs and goats the raising of both animals being little expense to even the smallest land-owners is much more common than veal or beef. Old or disabled horses are fattened aud slaughtered, and many an unconscious visitor to Rome, Xaples or Florence, takes his share of roasted horse in the restaurants. After a little experience I learned to distinguish the flesh, and having no prejudice against the use of it, I frequently ordered it for dinner. It has a coarser grain than beef aud a slightly paler color; the flavor is similar, but with a suggestion of sweetness. If the horse be not too old, he furnishes a really palatable roast. The people work steadily, but not with haste or euergy; and they take their full share of the many holidays which their Church allows them. Their houses are always solidly built of stone, and last for centuries; but only those who are in exceptionally good circum stances have separate rooms for guests. Ordinarily, the neighbors come and go almost like members of the family, sit ting beside the fire of fagots in the winter, or under the vine trellis In the sn miner, there are always a lew ap ple and fig-trees near the bouse. The latter bear fruit twice a year (in June and October) and contribute a good deal to the daily food of the people. A Nw Caiiitaliht. He didn't look as if his pockets held fifty cents, but a rich man has a right to dress as he chooses. He had loafed up Griswold staeet until he saw the right kind of a face, and then he asked : 'Can you show me a bank?" "Yes sir; three doors below, or just across the street." "Thanks. I'd like to put some money in some bank, but I'm a little afraid of banks. I always did prefer a note of hand to a bank." The citizen pricked up his ears, and asked : "You have some money to lend, have you?" "A trifle," was the answer. -'Do you know of anybody who'd like to take some, and give me a note for a year at seven per cent? I think of going to Mexico for a while." "I-et's see," mused the citizen, "I don't know but I'd take some myself." "Lemme git a drink, and then we'li talk." said the stranger. Yes certainly come on," said the citizen, and the two went into a base ment. Drinks were ordered by the cit izen, one after another, until his shin plasters felt lonely. He said he could make good use of a few thousand dollars for a year, and some of his friends might also take a few thousand more. The stranger put down gin, whisky and brandy until his legs give out. The citizen laid him on a bench and tried to sober him, but the fellow went ded asleep while they were trying to force vinegar down his throat. The barkeeper, said he was an old loafer, and a policeman was sent for to take him to the station house. When they got him down there and searched him, hey found four cents, a brass-backed comb, and a door key in his pockets, and the citizen who wanted to borrow a few thousand dolla.-s went softly around the corner to see if the mail had come in. Beware of Old gmoklng-Pipes. Xicotin is not the only poisonous sub stance in tobacco. It has been found that iu old smoking pipes two other poisonous compounds are connected namely, pyridin and picolin. The cause of the investigation was the death of a child who bad been blowing soap-bubbles from an old, dirty pipe. It was first put down as a case of niootin poi soning, but further investigation show ed the correctness of the researches of Vohl and Eulenburg in regard to the poisonous effects of what they call the pyridin series, a product of the dry dis tillation of tobacco, which acts by par alyzing the respiratory nerves, and cau ses death by exhaustive convulsions, terminating in total asphyxia; so it was concluded that the child did not die from nicotin, but from pyridin. This view may be all the same to the public, but it is not the same to the physician and chemist, whose duty it is to ascer tain the correct causes of disease and death, in order to profit by this knowl edge for the benefit of mankind. The Ludicrous Sides of Life. The dexterous leap of thought, by which the mind escapes from a seem ingly hopeless dilemma, is worth all the vestments of dignity which the world holds. It was this readiness In repartee which continually saved Voltaire from social overturn. He once praised an other writer very heartily to a third person. "It is very strange," was the reply, "that you sjieak so well of him. for he says that you are a charlatan "Oh." replied oltaire, "I think it very likely that both of us may be mis taken." Again, vou must have heard the an ecdote of the young gentleman who was discoursing very dogmatically about the appropriate sphere of woman. "And pray, sir," screamed out an old lady, '"what is the appropriate sphere of woman ?" "A celestial sphere, madam.' Roliert Hall did not lose his power of retort even in madness. A hypocritical condoh-r with his misfortunes once vis ited him in the mad-house, and said, iu a -a hilling tone, "Vthat brought you here, Mr. Hall?" Hall significantly touched his brow with his finger, and replied, "What "11 never bring you, sir too lunch brain?" A rapid change from enthusiasm to nonchalance is olten necessary in soci ety. 1 bus, a person once eloquently eulogizing the angelic qualities of Joan of Arc, was suddenly met by the petu e nt question, "What was Joan of Arc made of?" "She was Maiw of Or leans." A Yankee is never upset by the as tonishing. He walks among the Alps with his hands iu his pockets, and the smoke of his cigar is seen among tile mists of Niagara. One of this class sauntered into the otlice of the light ning telegraph, and asked how long it would take to transmit a message to Washington. "Ten minutes," was the reply. "I can't wait," was his rejoin der. Sheridan was never without a reason never failed to extricate himself in any emergency by bis wit. At a coun try house, where he wasoiiceou a visit, an elderly maiden lady desired to lie bis companion in a walk. Heexcused him self at first on the ground of the badness of the weather. She soon afterward, however, interrupted him in an attempt to escape without her. Well," she said, "it is cleared up, I see."' "Why, yes," he answered, "it has cleared up enough for , but not enough for tin.." It was this readiness which made John Randolph so terrible in retort. He was the Thersites of Congress, a tongue-st:ibb:.'r. Xo hyperbole of con tempt or scorn could be launched against him, but he could overtop it w "th some thing more scornful and contemptuous. OpMisition only maddened him into more brilliant bitterness. "Isn't it a shame, Mr. President,' said he one day in the Senate, "that the noble bull-dogs of the Administration should be wasting their precious time ir. worry ing the rats of the opKsition?" Imme diately the Senate was in an uproar, and he was clamorously called to order. The presiding officer, however, sustain ed him; and. pointing his long, skinny fingers at his opponents, Randolph screamed out, "Rats, did I say? mire, Winter Sport In Kuwia. The evening had been passed in social james and occasional dances, but all the fun was evidently regarded as merely preliminary or introductory to something better in store Occasionally, I caught a phrase, which pointed to s Huetbing which every body looked for ward to, but was entirely ignorant of its nature, and presumed it to be tab leaux or theatricals. Finally, at about 10 o'clock, a general call for furs and wrappings arose, and in a few minutes the whole company had passed Into the garden. The moon bad just risen, and its pale beams revealed the unshapely forms of snow covered trees aud shrubs the tops only of the latter protruding over the thick bed of snow, with its glittering crust. In the center of the garden I soon discovered the attraction which had caused us to torsake the warm aud lighted rooms two katoks of moderate height loomed up before us, and a number of sleds were strewn about, ready for use. A general pair ing took place Immediately, and in a few moments the sport was in full blast. The two platforms faced each other, and the tracks ran side by side, so that the parties would dash past each other amid laugbidg, screaming and shout ing. I looked around for a vacant sled in order to try my hand at the game, but just as I was climbing the steps to one of the platforms I was informed that no gentle-nan could be permitted to ride alone on such an occasion, and I was quickly provided with a passenger a young lady from the country en dowed with considerable eniboupoint. Without possessing the least confidence in my skill as a steersman I was some what coJiforted by the thought that the well-rounded form of my passenger, made still rounder by an ample fox skin robe, would not be liable to 61.0" r any serious damage in case of mishaps. With the utmost nonchallance I ad justed my sled at the very edge of the dazzling, shining and glittering incline. It is necessary that the steersman should seat himself first etiquette being entirely waived on the katok, but when the fair Anna Ivanovna dropped down iu front of me with the grace and ease of a snowflake, though a trifle heavier, and, to use a slang phrase, "cuddle up" to my manly breast with a glance full of charming confidence, my innate modesty and diffidence caused me to recede a little, and as I was already seated on the extreme edge, there was a fall, a scream and a laugh, and the whole delightful performance had to be gone through with again. At last we were both seated, and the sled adjusted, as I imagined, with the utmost mathematical precision, so as to run a straight course to the end of the track. Full of confidence, I gave the start, and with an impetus that almost ttok my breath away, we dash ahead to land in the snow bank on one side, only half way down the incline. The force wi'h which the sled struck the snow caused it to overturn, and my fare and I rolled down the snow band to the level. My profuse apologies seemed to be alto gether superfluous; the partner of my disaster was none the worse for it, and only remarked that it was very naughty of me to play that trick the first time The iuuoeeiit little bundle of fur thought I had upset us on purpose. With some misgivings on my part the experiment was repeated, w ith nearly the same result, and by that time I dawned upon the other participants in the fun that they bad a "greenhorn among them, and plans of mischief were concocted accordingly. One ot the gentleman approached me and ob served that 1 seemed to be bewildered by the crowd dashing down before me and beside me, and that they would give me a chance of descending alone, aheac of them all. The company accordingly assembled on one o( the platforms and I took my place once more on the brink with my fearless passenger before me. The suppressed laughter and the mis chief sparkling in everybody's eve might have warned me that some plot was afoot ; but unsuspectingly and care fully I launched my sled. Exactly what followed I cannot tell, and would not care to enlarge upon it I could. In less than a second we had reached the level, but there my sled struck a broom -handle or something of the kind, and with a jump seemed to fly from under ns, while we glided a piece down the track on our own responsi bility, my companion clinging to me loruear lite; and then there came a shock, aud then another, and I don't know how many more until the whole scene becrme exceedingly shocking, for as each succeeding sled dumped its loij over us, the confused mass of laughing and squirming bodies became more bewildering, and the placid moon grinned down upon a sight it is to be hoped not often enjoyed by the chaste Diana's symbol. At last everybody succeeded In extricating his or hr own robes and furs aud overshoes and linibs and something like order anil propriety was once more restored ; but the mere consciousness of my spotless innocence did not save me from being accused by all parties as the author of what they pleased to call a "shocking mishap." Though very much bewildered and con fused, 1 had in my mind one clear idet that I was not destined to shine in that peculiar institution of Russian society, the "katuk." Training for a Corpse. A carpenter in Virginia City, Xevada, newly raised to the dignity of 'prophet' in the Improved Order of Red Men, cam9 near burning up his shop a short time ago. .A frieud and brother in the Order was lying very ill at the point of death, it was thought. In case of his death there were certain ceremonies to be performed over the body while lying in 'wigwam by the Trophet. Xow,our Prophet bad never undertaken the performance of these ceremonies, an 1 be was not sure that he would be able to acquit himself creditably when be came to undertake them with the whole lodge standing about looking solemnly on. He thought he should like a little previous practice. With this in his mind he persuaded his part ner, also a Red Man, to join him In a rehearsal, and take the part of the corpse. The partner saw no harm in having such a rehearsal, and thought it would really be a good thing for bis friend, the Prophet. Accordingly a broad board was placed on two trestles, and the partner who was to be the corpse stretched upon It full length, aud told the Prophet to proceed with the funeral ceremonies. The Prophet, in full war paint and a cow's tail stuck behind his ear, then began prancing about the remains. With some prompt ing from the corpse he got through with his mummeries in very fair shape. He then caught up a torch made of fat splinters, and began a solenn dance around the decorous and appreciative corpse. When in the midst of the dance and a dolorous chant, he suddenly dis covered that in waving his torch he had left a trail of fire behind him in the shavings covering the floor, which com pletely encircled the sedate remains. The corpse took in the situation at the same moment as did the Prophet, and the two wound np the rehearsal with a very lively little light to save their premises. Both had their hands and clothes badly scorched, and the partner swears that it is the last time be will ever 'train for a corpse. Exciting; t'omhat of Snakes. An exciting "mill" took place at the Xatinnal Museum the other day. The live snakes, of which there are quite a number, are kept in four glass cases, the bottoms of which are corered with sand. Recently a water snake was put in the case which the king snake occupies. His kingship resented the intrusion and attacked the visitor, and the two went tumbling around the case together in approved pugilistic style. Three rounds were fought. In the first two the king snake forced the fighting, and the water snake confined himself mainly to getting out of tue awkward and danger ous positions in which the strength and skill of his adversary placed him. But as the "dodo will turn when trodden upon" so will the water snake when bitten too hard, and when rubbed down with a sponge after the second round he seemed to get his second wind and was eager for the fray. Meanwhile the king snake bad opened bis mouth to its full capacity, and was sharpening bis teeth against the side of the case. Then came the fierce encounter, and both snakes fought nobly. Finally the king snake took his adversary's head en tirely in his mouth and began to chew on it, which seemed to discourage the water snake, and caused bis backer to throw up the sponge. The- victor of the match is an old hand at contests of this kind, and recently bit an offemUug neighbor completely in two. Wisconsin has over 20,000,000 acres of good farming lands that have never been ploughed. Wharf Rata. Wharf rats are long, lean hungry looking vermin. Did you ever see one? Their haui.ts are between old bales and barrels, and in holes that long ago rot ted out of the spiles, posts and logs of wharfs. They are sharp-eyed creatures, and of course avoid the sight of man kind. Your rat of that sort is a know ing animal. But there is another knd of wharf rat a more interesting object of study that I have in mind. It is the human "wharf rat." He is as keen, almost as quick, and a good deal more dirty, than bis namesake, the quadruped. One pleasant morning, not long since, I went down with twofriemis upon one of the wharves in Gotham, to get a view of the harbor. As we were standing quietly watching the shipping, our es oon., Harry, exclaimed : " W hy , w hat U this?" and he poked with a stick at something between two bales. "Hallo! that's me, that is!" cried a shrill voice; and there slowly rose to view a curious sjiocimen of humanity, bearing a general resemblance to a child of some six years, but probably more than twelve. His face was unique. small, droll, old and strangely pathetic in its urollness. "Look here, mister, what right 'a you to come into my boarding-house?" he asked. '-When a feller pays for board and lodgiu, he doesn't ginerally like to be "sturbed;" and he pulled at an imaginary visor, the real one having probably been torn of in yesterday's tights. "How many of you are boarding round here?"asked Harry, much taken with the whimsical idea. "That's telling," said the youngster. with a provoking smile, his grimy hand fumbling iu his pocket. "Will that help you?" asked my friend, showing a bit of bright silver. "Well, Governor, it will I reckon;" was the quick response, and never in an old miser's face came a greedier look. The small, cunning eye fairly devoured the coin. "There's sometimes a dozen, and sometimes more." said the small bov. There's two or three stowed way in there," pointing to several bales ami barrels. -'It's snug in there, and they keeD each other warm." 'And have you no other oome?" I hasn't, sir. I've lived round the; wharf ever since I was a little feller. I never had no home as I knows of ; I was raised in a bospiile, n' I never saw no body b'longing to me." "Do you come down here only to sleep?"' The boy gave a droll, evil sort of glance as be answered : "We git jobs, you know. The sailors are goxl to u sometimes, and then sometimes we find things." "What do you mean by lindiug things?" 'Well, you finds 'em in boats, ami you finds 'em some foggy nights on the ships. There's little punts along these yere wharves, kept out of sight mostly, and there's old men been at the business a good while, and they're the ones as finds things, and we gits somethin' for helpin' 'em. Sometimes there's a smash or the watchman sees 'em, or the periice is aboard. Golly, then we puts! Xo matter "bout boats we jest swims for it." "IhMi't you know that this is wrong?" asked my friend, with an innocent ex pression. "Well, we don't know nothiu' down here." was the answer. "We jos gets a livin", that's all." "Ami a pretty hard one muttered Harry, as two or three shock of un combed hair were seeu emerging from the nooks and corners sleepy, blear eyed boys, with faces the cunning mean ness and cruelty of which no painter. however skillful, could portray. Probably they were all thieves of the meanest sort; though Hill Hiltz, who was pointed out to n the bouquet- seller in summer had a better expres sion, clearer eyes, and a really sweet mile. Some of these boys had parents ot the baser sort. One of them said his father was in the hospital with a broken leg. 'Yes." rried another, "he got caught a-burgling, and fell out of the second winder; that's wot's the matter of him." They were all ragged. One or two had armless overcoats, and others fur caps, from which the fur was worn in ridges. I never saw a queerer assort ment of old clothes. And the pinched faces, haggard and gray, as if genera tions of sin and shame had sifted all the evil of their wicked lives into them ! I wondered whether these "rats" ever played like other boys at the merry old games that seem to have come down from the time of the deluge; but w hen I turned to ask, the speaker, who was unquestionably the brightest among them, bad gone for a wash. The last I saw of him he had crept dnw n close to the water, and was dip ping his shaggy head under, while only hi heels and a few fluttering rags were visible. Intemperate Water Drinking. Improper drinking has killed thou sands. There have been instance where thirsty armies, after long march es, have come to some river, when the men would lie down on their laces ami quaff an inordinate quantity of water, with these result; some died almost instantly, others became crazy and staggered like drunken men. Avoid drinking water a much as possible while walking. When you feel thirsty, rinse the mouth with water, but do not swallow it. Drink only when resting. Men, wheu heated, should not drink anything cold. Drink slowly ; half a tumbler of water will suffice the thirs tiest man in the world, if he drinks i j by sips. In fact it is almost impossible )o get down a full glass of water taken in this way.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers