r
D. F. SCHWEIER,
THE C05STITUTI0IT-THE UHTOX-AITD THE EHTOEOEMENT OP THE LA7S.
Editor and Pi-oprietor.
VOL. XXXII.
MIFFLINTOWX, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA., WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1S7S.
NO. 29.
SOXEWHERK.
S -mewhere there blow
Myrtle and Ko-a
And Cedar for me ;
But where, no ooe knows.
Or. may not d scloee
The secret to me.
S mewhere a heart
Is blooming aart
For love and for me ;
Hut w here, none will telL
Hear heart, is it well
For i bee or for me t
Somewhere a prief
A skeleton thief
1- lurking for me ;
But where, only One kuowa.
Who hides future w. en
Somewhere from me.
Jealousy's Fearful Vengeance.
The average Frenchman is fond of
die water iu the summer, and from the
fart that lie is iu the habit of surround
in f it with attractive accessories he
undoubtedly derives more pleasure
from it than Americans usually do.
Nor is it a French instinct to act self
ishly in this matter. All along the
v-ine place are also assigned atcei tain
points for the bathing of horses, others
for the washing of df.gs. The dog
w.ish is frequently an amusing and an
animated fight. Ik-lieateand fastidious
pets noisily and pathetically resent the
too familiar atteniions of the profes
sional washers; while the half-hysteric
uu uers of some, especially if they are
spinsters, cannot be torn apart from
their trembling poodles, but preside at
the operation and try to console them
with expressions of the most ridiculous
blandishment.
It was a glorious hot afternoon in
July. Ail the baths that line the Seine
at Paris and the suburbs of the east and
west were in full swing human, equine
and canine were taxed to their utmost
capacity. At one of the latter, an
American boy of twelve was dividing
his attention between the elaborate
sousing administered tohisowu Daudie
I'iniuonl and the human-like yelpings
of a bedizened lap-dog that protested
against the cruelty of the proposed ab
lution, aud w hose owner iu a tearful
voice endeavored to console and fortify
her p-t. The elderly ow ner of the dog
was accompanied by her niece a
charming .ookiug young girl with
blonde hair, a complexion like new
ream, and dark, expressive eyes as
let, evidently, slightly on the child
hood's side ot the promise of her teens.
As the actively-perceptive eye of this
young girl marked how courageously
the bundle Ltinuiout took his bath, and
how, on tlie contrary, Socrates whined,
and yelped, and struggled, while his
mistress feigned to weep, she became
suddenly conscious that the bov re
garded her aunt and her let with an
air of amusement not entirely free from
deri-ioii.
The expression of burning resent
ment that instantly transformed her
features was a study for a physiogno
mist; and with an impetuous stamp of
her substantial arched foot she whis--red.
or, rather, hissed :
'You disagreeable boy ; I hate you,
do."
He noticed the strange change that
came over her face aud felt the indigna
tion that flashed from her eye; so with
the instinct of a well-bred boy lie con
fined hisaiteutiou to hisown immediate
business.
The Dandie Diumont left the bath,
and the episode of the dog-bath bad al
most exhaled from the youthful mind
of his master, when a quick yelp be
tokened too surely his favorite's pain.
The boy turned; the aunt and her
poodle were behind, and the girl had
struck the inoffensive terrier with her
hoop-stick. His look conveyed a mix
ture of anger and surprise.
"You are a cruel girl, I know that,"
he murmured. "Come here Dick!"
"You are an impertineut monkey,
and I'll hit him again," she cried; and
heedless of her aunt's remonstrance,
she rushed w ith uplilted arm at the
timid creature.
"Dick" bolted to the middle of the
street, to ten itied of his cruel pursuer
toa avoid the approaching wheel of a
rapidly-driven vehicle. There was a
hitch in the wheel; a little appealing
agonizing bark, and the dog had num
bered his days. The boy ran and picked
up his mangled pet and placed the long,
silken hair against his heart; then he
lifted up his voice and wept.
The girl was too surprised to speak,
but there was no grief in her look,
simply open-eyed aslonishmeut; but
when she had fully realized the catas
trophe, her glance was the glance of one
who bad triumphed, as the boy's under
standing interpreted it.
"Bathed in the helpless wrath of
tears." he w atched the girl's retreating
form, and when she again looked round,
he saw nothing of relenting nor of
sympathy in her look. And he recol
lected the hard look as long as he lived.
For, as Jeau Paul had written, "Ke-
niembraiices last longer than pre
sent reality, as we may conserve blot
s jins many years, but never fruits."
At twenty, Ursula Heydenreich was
the arbitrary mistress of large possess
ions. As she looked at herself in the
mirror, she beheld the reflection of a
large and handsome woman, with a
massive white neck, deep bosom and
majestic shoulders. It would have
been easy to criticise the face; aud yet
it was a face that few young men could
have looked at without misgivings that
- he might too soon learn to labor and to
linger for its glances, its smiles, its ap
proval, and its love.
Miss Von Heydenreich paced her
boudoir in a sute of unusual mental
indecision. And yet she was only de
liberating about having her portrait
painted. As usually regarded, if abun
daut means wait upon inclinations, and
the gifted artist upon both, the sittings
may be commenced as soon as conven
ient. But other considerations eutered
the embryonic purpose of the heiress.
The artist whom she thought of employ
ing was not esteemed highly gifted
Hence to employ him w ould be exceed
ingly to lionor him. That wan one
point to be kept steadfastly in mind.
But then, again,' she did not propose
to patronize him so much for his talents
as for the uneoufessed purpose of com
pensating him foraslight mishap which
had befallen him, and of which she had
iu some slight degree been the trivial
cause. It had always seemed to her so
exquisitely absurd to see the ltttle fellow
eight years since, blubbering over his
little hairy dog! And yet the little
painter had grown handsome, with a
manly look ! What sort of a heart bad
supplanted that of the trful boy ? It
might be an interesting amusement to
probe It. The sorrow of the boy was
an emotional treat in its way; might
not the mature agony of the man le ex
quisite? It would be a great injustice to Miss
Von Heydenreich to imply that she
analyzed her motives with the result
just indicated. We are seldom careful
to examine any too closely the alembic
wherein the mainspring of an unworthy
action lies coiled ; another motive-power
more in consonance with our egotism,
always lies just a little further away
aud may conveniently be pressed into
service to gild and varnish the occasion.
Hence, while Ursula persistently de
luded herself ttiat she was about to
patronize and honor Eugene Raymond,
she was iu reality actively preparing
to submit him to an inquisitorial ordeal
that had for its end torture.
Well, the sittings began, aud the cos
tume and environment elaborately pre
pared for It showed her to be a daughter
of Circe. The room and its inmate
formed an arsenal of seductiveness.
.She was iu the subtle glow of health,
which in her case took that low creain
color that never flushes and that passion
itself seems to have made so pale.
Yet the young artist braced himself
with a thought ot the past, and worked
calmly, followed by the gaze whi'-b was
soft and sympathetic for the woman.
Often stealthily he observed those eyes
for they presented a marked contrast to
the look of hard, sellish triumph that
the girl had photographed on his
memory w hen a boy. But tiie man had
seen eyes aud eyes eyes that no words
can describe and no pigments ortray;
eyes that flicker like the opal; eyes that
draw men's hearts to love as the magnet
draws the needle; eyes that drive men
mad, as magic philtres drive them mad.
Ursula's eyes were glorious; but they
were disfigured by the film of a cruel
memory, and he w as safe.
Lovers, it is needless to say. Miss
Von Heydenreich had now in plenty ;
yet hitherto the favorite of the hour
had had but small cause to plume him
self on his position. She was naturally
one of those not br any means uncom
mon pretty women who delude them
selves with the iiVa that ev?ry man
they meet would have preferred them,
if the preference had not been hopeless.
Of course she exjiected Eugene Ray
mond to tall in love with her into a
love that she might tamper w ith aud
then pitch aside like a garment. If any
one had suggested that such a proceed
ing was cruel, in all probability she
would have retorted something like
this:
Let him take care of himself. You
might as well blame the odorous
absinthe for its seduction of the palate
and its confusion of the brain.
But as day after day passed she liegan
to feel disappointed at the coldness of
his bearing. The proud attitude he as
sumed perplexed her. Why was he so
distant so formally polite? She smil
ed on him more kindly than ever, yet
neither her beauty nor her condescen
sion wrought the wild havoc she had
expected w ith his senses and his reason.
She could hardly believe that his too
obvious indifference w as real.
"I am so much above him," she re
flected. "He dare not presume;" and
she resolved that it should be no fault
of hers if he were not undeceived.
Yet the portrait was painted, and he
had made no sign. Xay, he had refus
ed to accept the sum she had offered
over aud above the covenanted price,
and when she had offered her hand at
parting, he had touched it with the
same unchangeable, cold politeness.
Behind her was the portrait; before
her was his receding form. What had
she gained by her experiment? He
turned the corner and was hid from
her view; aud then her lace quivered.
her bosom heaved, and she clenched
both hands till the round, white arms
grew hard as marble. Then she bit her
lip once, savagely, and so seemed to re
gain her accustomed composure and the
usual dignity of her bearing.
Pique of this kind is one of the hardy
perennial plants of the female mind.
For several days Miss Von Heydenreich
struggled unsuccessfully to uproot it.
The noble and kindly bearing of the
artist, his respectfully attentive looks,
his courteousness as distinguished from
familiarity, the worth and gentleness
of his manhood, his bright, good-
humored face would intrude at all hours
and upon all occasion?. Ia the morn
ings when she sleDt late she would be
lapped iu delicious dreams of which he
was the central figure. And when she
awoke and found it was but a dream
she rose with trembling vexation. She
could not crash "this madness," as she
termed it, under the iron heel of her
will ; for it now thrilled through every
fibre of her being. She was under the
despotic thraldom of the master-passion
of the human mind.
If men dressed in a little brief author
ity play such fantastic tricks before
Heaven as to induce angelic tears, what
may be said of a w oman like Ursula
Von Heydenreich, when possessed of
the mocking demon of unrequited pas
sion! Little prudence or discretion.
I ween, might be expected of her; but
mostly to ride on the waves of impulse,
and try and direct the storm from that
miraculous seat. '
The Information that resulted from
certain elaborate inquiries made known
to her that Eugene Raymond had gone
to Switzerland, painting of course
Switzerland was a proper place to visit,
and 6he went to Switzerland. Albeit
the quest tried her patience and her
muscles to the utmost, she persevered
for three weeks till she found him.
Ah! with what different eyes she
looked upon the sunrise next morning.
She smiled on everybody and every
thing; yet she had not spoken a word
to the painter. Xo; at first it was bliss
to watch him from afar to focus him
through a telescope as he sketched.
One evening as she watched, a strange
agony of terror came over her. As he
stood on the mountain-side, intent at
his work, the silent peaks above him
had turned to pearl under the magical
light of the hour, and from out of some
olive-hued foliage a female form darted
and was straightway at his side. With
inflamed eye, the watcher saw the face
alight with joyousness and mirth; her
round, childlike forehead, her little
dusky, graceful head, her beaming eyes,
her fresh, half-open mouth, and the kiss
that was implanted thereon.
When Miss Von Heydenreich again
sat in her little room before her wood
fire she beheld mocking demons weav
ing horrible spells in the flames, while
gibbering goblins seemed haunting the
distant corners af the room, The wind
rose and sobbed without, and in. its
w ail she seemed to hear the lament of
her own soul over its destiny. She
felt there was madness within her.
How or when it might work she knew
not. That would dejieiid upon circum
stances. Day after day she beheld the artist
and the girl together. Day after day
her soul drifted more and more help
lessly through the tempest of rage and
gloom. Alone among the mountain
solitudes she spent the long hours bat
tling in a fashion with her evil uature.
She had never revealed herself to
Eugene. Her pride forbade the step ;
yet if she had known how to pray she
would have prayed.
One day she was inspired with a sud
den resolve to leave the place for ever
and to bury her infatuation in her heart
of hearts.
"Xext morning," she aiiid to her
maid, "I shall leave for Geneva. I
am going (or a walk now."
It was the early evening hour. The
sunlight grew redder and richer as she
stepped along, aud as she readied a
yawning chasm through which clashed
a silver rill, the valh y became glorified
with this sunset color, and a female
form standing pensively on the verge
seemed bathed in blood.
The eyes of Ursula flamed and became
:il most blind. Her kness for a brief
moment shook under her. Then the
demon assumed the sway, Brildly she
approached the child like creature.
"I shall have one searching, close
look at her !" said she, possessed of a
demon, an 1 she walked quickly. Tin
fawn-like creature was evidently
startled and terrified by the other's
dreadful gaze, end she retreated a step
and averted' her head. Something iu
the movement goaded theother to fury.
There was a blinding rush of Mood to
her brain, and when she became herselt
she w as alone by tiie brink of the
chasm.
An hour afterwards the artist met
Miss Von Heydenreich hurrying to
wards her lodgings. There was a start
and a recognition. She would have
spoken ; but he bowed coldly and passed
on. What tempted each of them to
turn and to look? re r haps it was a
natural impulse on her part; ninybe an
intuition on his. At all events, he
again beheld the look of cold, cruel
triumph he had seen w hen a boy ; but
the look then compared to the glance
now as water compares to wine.
With a sensation as if he had been
suddenly stricken with palsy, Eugene
walked on to seek the w ife he should
never again see alive. But next morn
ing she lay on a spotless bed, with a
rose on her heart, stiff and stark, a
wound in her forehead, and a look of
terror and agony in her open eyes, j
And people came iu and wept, aud
whispered aud looked; while Eugene
Raymond sat like a picture of Despair
beside his dead. He knew who had
murdered his poor Florence; but there
was no proof, and the assassin remain
ed unmolested.
As to the readers natural curiosity
respecting Ursula Von Heydenreich 's
ultimate fate, let him be assured that
the "mills of the gods" are no distem-
iered dream, nor the avenging Nemesis
io mere mythological vision.
The Food dapply of Great Britian.
The gross imports of the United
Kingdom for 1377 exceeded those of the
previous year by the sum of over $94,-
000,000. Of this increase, $43,400,000
was for articles of food for human con
sumption. The total import of such
articles for the year amounted to more
than $466,000,000. This amount in
cludes live animals intended for food,
meats of all kinds, wheat and flour,
Indian corn, rice, butter, lard, cheese,
eggs, fish and potatoes; and does not
include tea, coflee, or sugar. In cus
tom houses parlance these latter are
not articles of food.
Thirty years ago the import of food
was not seriously large. In 1846 for
eign breadstuff's were imported to the
amount of only seventeen pounds per
bead of the whole population of the
country; in 1855 it bad increased to
seventy pounds; in 1S65 to ninety-three
pounds; and in the past five years the
average annual import Las been over 180
pounds for each person in the kingdom.
It is estimated that every person con
sumes a little more than five bushels,
or 300 pounds, of wheat or other rain
yearly, and it will be seen that the
Britona are now obtaining nearly two
thirds, of their breadstuff from abroad.
It should be noted, however, that three
seasons of the last five have been rather
indifferent ones, and the average may
be abnormally high in some measure.
Nevertheless the increase is uniform
and rapid, and Great Britain is fast
nearing the time when fully two-thirds
of her bread supply will regularly come
from foreign countries.
No man likes to hold girl baby In
his arms until she is seventeen years
old.
The Toonff wu of Mean.
I arrived iu Xew York a few days
ago, and immediately took rooms at the
Astor House. I have always made it a
rule to get the best of everything, even
if I am obliged to get trusted for it. I
hadn't been at the Astor House but one
day w lieu the clerk brought me my bill.
"I it customary," said I, "topay the
first day?"
"It is, w ith men of your stamp," he
replied.
"What kind of a stamp do you take
me for?" said I.
"You look like a two-cent stamp,"
he replied, very insultingly. "You
either pay this bill or get out. Have
you got any money ?'' said lie.
"My estimable young friend," I re
plied, "you have probably heard of Dr.
Benjamin Franklin, long siuce deceas
ed. That eminent physician was at
one time in the proverb line, and did a
very good business. He said among
other things that time is money. Now
I haven't got any money, but as regards
time, 1 am iu affluent circumstances,
aud if you will receipt that bill, I will
give you a check for as much time as
you think equivalent, and throw you in
a couple of hours for your trouble."
He made no reply, but from the fact
of the porter's coming up immediately
after, removing my trunk to the side
walk and hustling me out after it, I in
ferred that I wasn't a financial sueeess.
I immediately called a hackman, and
told him to take me to a cheap, but re
sectable hotel. "And the cheaper it
is," I added, "the more respectable I
shall consider it."
He drove me to the Excelsior Hotel,
aud I told him that if at any time I
could do him a favor, I should feel
grieved if he didn't speak to me about
it, for my proud spirit spurns an obli
gation. "if you don't fork over them fifty
cents," said he, "there'll be a funeral
in your family, aud it won't be your
wife nor none o your children."
"But I am busted," said I. "If meet
ing houses were selling two for a cent,
I couldn't buy the handle of a contri
bution box."
He sn ore at me awfully, and said he j
would have it out of my trunk, so he
burst it open. But the contents of that
trunk are far from valuable, for I carry
it filled w ith sawdust. It looks just as
respectable, and iu an emergency of
this kind is invaluable.
I will not say that this hackman look
ed daggers at me. He looked a w hole
arsenal, w ith a back room full of bay
onets; and as he mounted his seat and
drove an ay, the air a. fairly blue with
his curs.'S. He got off string after string
without a single mistake, and he must
have had the devil's dictionary at his
Tongue's end. It fairly curdled my
blood to hear him, and I have felt bad
ever since. I afterwards heard that
l his hackman w as always very wicked,
and wouldn't go to Sunday School when
he was a little boy; but when his
mother put on his cap with a tassel to
it, and gave him a cent to put in the
contribution box, would go off with
other bad boys, aud kill toads. Is it a
wonder that he ha grow n up to be a
great horrid thing, and use profane
language toward highly reectable
eople in unfortunate circumstances?
l'olueii.
The streets of Pi.iupetl are straight
nd regular though exceedingly nar
row, some of them being not more than
eight feet wide. They are paved with
large flat stones or Mocks of lava, in
w hich may be seen the tieep ruts made
by Roman chariot w heels eighteen cen
turies ago, Here and there at the cross
ings, are large stepping Hones for the
accommodation of pedestrians, to keep
their feet out of the mud, similar to
tho.-e used . in this day. As we
walked those deserted aud desolate
streets, so silent and death like, it seem
ed as if we must meet some of the for
mer inhabitants. Bnt there were no
faces at the w indows, nor human forms
in ihe doorways, no cry of street ped
dlers, nor shouting of boys, nor rolling
of wheels over the pavements, nor busi
ness in the market places. We were
reminded of the words of Jeremiah :
"How doth the city sit solitary that was
full oftieople."
The dwellings, built of stone and
brick and plastered on the outside with
mortar, are generally small and mostly
of one story. They are built in oriental
style, with an open court in the centre,
and the differeut rooms of the house ar
ranged around and opening into this
court. The roofs are mostly destroyed,
having been crushed down by the
weight of the ashes, leaving the walls
standing. Entering the houses we
found various apartments. In the din
ing room are tables of stone covered
with petrified food. In the sleeping
rooms are beds and couches. In one of
the kitchens was found a fowl put in
the skillet 1800 years ago, and a stew
pan containing a small pig for roasting,
just ready to go to the oven for the
family dinner ; but the pig never en
tered the oven, and the family omitted
the dinner. When the dwellings were
uncovered, many elegant frescoes were
found on the walls, and beautiful mo
saics on the floors. Some of these look
as bright and fresh as H finished 18 in
stead of eighteen-hundred years ago.
Near the threshold of the "House of the
Tragic Poet" was a mosaic representibg
a fierce dog, with the inscription, "Cave
Caneni," (Beware of the Dog.) In the
"House of the Vestals" you have a more
cordial greeting, for upon the door sill
is the word "Salve" (Welcome.) The
pictures, frescoes, mosaics, sculptures,
and even jewelery, found in some of the
houses, show a horrible depravity in
morals. Many of these are so shameful
as to be locked away from public gaze.
Pompeii was a very Sodom in wicked
ness, and it is no wonder that an awful
baptism of fire destroyed IU
In the streets of this buried city are
many shops with the signs still over the
doorways. Enter one, and there is mar
ble partly sculptured, with the sculp
tor's tools lying about; enter another,
and yon find medicines and surgical in
struments; enter a third, and the stains
made by the wet glasses on the marble
counter, as well as the stone liquor jars
behind it, tell you plainly you are in a
drinking saloon. An eating house was
lately discovered, with its meats and
delicacies on the counter. In the same
room were fire-places to keep the soups
and messes warm. A bakery and a grist
mill, both in the same building, have
been brought to light. The mill was
turned by a clumsy horse power, and
in the bakery shop was found a batch
of loaves which had remained in the
oven ever since the 24th of August, A.
D. 79.
Pompeii had its temples of heathen
worship, within w hich were found dols
of marble, silver and gold. One, called
the temple of Isis, is 84 feet long and 75
feet broad. On its altar still remained
the ashes of victims otlered iu sacrifice
to pagan gods; but where were the
worshippers? In the temple was found
the skeleton of a priest, sitting at a
table on which was spread his last
earthly meal. Near the door was an
other priest, holding in bis skeleton
hand a hatchet, with which he tried to
aut his way out of the temple. In the
"Temple of Juno,'. lately uncovered,
300 skeletons were fouud crowded to
gether, and all buried beneath the burn
ing ashes thrown out by the volcano.
In the very hour of the destruction the
priestess was offering sacrifice to the
"Queen of the Gods."
We visited the forum, which like that
of Rome, occupied a central position in
the city. On different sides were great
rows of columns, and long porticos,
still remaining to show the outlines of
the noted place. Here and there were
the pedestals on which stood famous
statues. In the forum public meetings
were held, when the multitudes were
addressed by such great orators as
Cicero, iu fict, a notice of a publio
meeting for the very night on which
the storm of ashes began is shown the
traveler, but the meeting was postponed
forever.
This ancient city of pleasure seekers
had their great amphitheatre. It is
outside the present excavations, full
half a mile away, and is quite perfect in
preservation, it is a large stone build
ing 430 feet long and 333 feet wide,
shaped like the coliseum at Rome, and
was used for gladitorial shows. On its
stone steps once sat 15,000 spectators.
The pillars, doors, seats, entrances and
caves for the wild beasts, are as perfect
as they were 18 centuries ago. Placards
announcing theatrical performances are
still seen on the walls.
Outside the "Herculaneuru Gate" is
a large dwel'ing said to belong to one
Diomede, because a tomb inscribed with
that name was found near by. This
villa has been admirably described by
the English novelist Bulwer in his
"Last days of Pompeii." The supposed
owner was found in his garden, having
In his hands a bunch of keys, and a
purse filled with gold and silver coins.
In the cellar of Diomede's house, hud
dled together in one corner, crouching
before the awful storm, were found 18
skeletons, mostly females, supposed to
be members of the family. They were
encased in hardened mud and ashes.
One was an infant whose little form
still clung to the bony bosom of its
mother. Some of the victims had rings
and bracelets encircling their skeleton
fingers and w rists, and gold ornaments
on their necks.
Protection of Birds.
Birds subsist during the fore part of
the season almost entirely on insects.
Magy of them robins, chipping birds,
wrens and swallows, as if knowing
that they were the husbandman's bes1
friends, seek his yards, orchards and
buildings to build their nests and rear
their young. They do this as if hoping
he would appreciate their services and
give them his protecting care, and
iruard them against their enemies.
Many do give them their watchful care
so long as the parent birds are feeding
their young in the nest, but as soon as
the young birds leave their nest to try
their wings, they are seized by the fam
ily favorite cat and thus their existence
ends. In this way a large proportion
of young robins, chipping birds, wrens
and blue birds, that place themselves
under the watchful care of the husband
man are disposed of. This favorite cat,
in her rambles over the fields in search
of game, finds many birds ere they learn
to use their w ings, or that danger is
near. Xow let use see what these birds
have done while rearing their young in
protecting the husbandman's crops, to
meet this ruthless treatment at his
hands. Let us watch the movements of
a single pair cf robins that have built
their nest, as If on purpose, In a maple
right at our door. They fear no dan
ger, not being conscious of having done
us any harm. During the period of in
cubation one of the faithful pair is con
stantly at its trust. As soon as the lit tie
birds appear the faithful parent birds
are ever on the alert for worms to fill
themouthsof thciryoungas they stret -h
their long and slender necks above the
nest. If you can spare the time, place
yourself at the window, watch in band,
and count the number of times one of
the parent birds carries a mouthful of
worm to the ever hungry brood during
the first hour. Tou will be surprised
to find that they have made these trips
once a minute, or sixty times during the
hour, and that these trips have been
continued during the entire day; aud
that this iaithful pair, with their young,
have lessened the number of these nox
ious insects in one day not less than five
hundred to one thousand, depending on
the kinds and size. Should this one
pair of robins, with their young, remain
undisturbed during the season, even
should this be all the increase, they
would consume no less than twenty to
thirty thousand larvse of May-beetles,
cut-worms, and other destructive in
sects. ThU is the work of one pair of
robins with their young, and for one
season only. As many as one-hundred
wire-worms have been found in the crop
of a single robin.- It is said that a
young robin will eat daily its own
weight of worms.
ha little Sailor af OlrorU
We were leaning over the Creek
bridge at Olcott, watching Ed. Martin,
as he took his evening fish. Martin
keeps the little boat house on the west
side of the creek, where at any hour of
the day can be found a row boat creek
worthy or lake worthy. As we stood
there, there appeared upon the lauding
at the boat house a little fellow, "knee
high to a grasshopper" who wanted to
know in a voice worthy of a larger
man which boat he should take. As
the younster was just about tall enough
to see comfortably all over the top of
an ordinary table, every eye in the
party was at once directed with an ex
pression of mingled wonderment and
amusement at the speaker. He was
burthened with little more than panta
loons, shirt, and slouched sailor cap.
The question as to which boat he should
take was put to Mr. Martin, his father,
who directed him to the little "Lena."
we believe, a gracelul shell, large
enough to hold a party of four or half
a dozen comfortably.
As the little boatman stepped into the
"Lena," a series of questions were put
to his natural protector, who was play
ing w ith the fishing-line.
"Why, does that iittie fellow go out
on the creek alone ?"
"O, yes; he goes wherever he
pleases."
"How old is he?"
"Five years old."
"Do you let him take the boat when
ever he chooses?"
"Yes, he goes on the lake alone fre
quently with the sail boat. He takes
parties out sailing, miles away from tlie
laud."
"Are you not afraid to have the little
chick do so?"
"Xo. He knows w hat he's about."
It was very evident from the way he
was now handling the oars, that he
knew wtat he was about. He sped up
the creek like an arrow, and had just
the stroke that one might imagine the
experienced man-of-war's man to have.
There was some snrprise felt by the
lady witnesses that the father could
allow so diminutive a piece of human
ity to brave the dangers of the waves
alone. But they forgot, perhaps, that
he was born a sailor and moreover, that
a child is do more helpless inordinary
times j.ist as powerful, as a strong man
on the tickle waves. It was faith, you
remember, that in those old times did
wonders on the deep.
As the party were leaving the place,
remarking upon what they had seen
aud heard, a man who stood near try
ing to catch the attention of some three
pounders with a spoon hook, gave his
head an expressive shake aud said:
"That boy is safer than many men on
the water. I h ive met him miles out
upon the like, sailing over the white
caps as self-possessed and brave as any
old tar."
What do all the fathers and mothers
of live-year-olds born with silver spoons
in their mouths, and passing their time
with block-houses, high chairs aud
bibs, think of that!
Mr. Miil.llerib Trie the Skates.
There was some little difficulty ex
perienced when Mr. Middlerib presen
ted himself at the rink and called for the
necessary paraphernalia in findings pair
of skates that would accommodate him.
He has been alllicted for years past with
tender feet, and has dealt most tenderly
with the active reminiscences of youth-,
ful corns and bunions, and the distorted
remembrances of the t'ght boots of his
callow days, by wearing the largest and
softest socks and the roomiest boots
that could be had for money. Conse
quently, when lie asked for skates, the
man thought he must mean a pair of
skids. But they fouud a pair that con Id
be persu tiled to do, and, although Mr.
Middlerib could not see them when
they were on his feet, he accepted the
statement of the artist that they were
just a snug fit, and stood up tem
porarily.
He had fallen with such amazing
celerity and promptness that he
couldn't for the life of him see that it
changed the slippery skate of bis boy
hood a particle to take off the blade and
put on wheels. He felt arouud for his
hat which had j lted up tff his head
like a rocket and lodged in the chande
lier; and, when they had fished it down
and handed it to him, he felt around for
his head, which seemed to have gone a
story and a half higher than the hat.
But it was in its isual place, and be
tenderly covered it with his hat, pul
ling the head piece clear down over his
ears, to avoid the danger of jolting it up
through the ventilator in the ceiling.
Then he got up very slowly and with
alarming caution. He held on to a post
with one hand and a man with the
other, and straightened up by degrees,
as a boy hiding behind the wood pile
rises to see if Ms father Is coming.
When he stood up at last and looked
down .at the floor Mr. Middlerib was
amazed to gee how far away it was. It
didn't seem as though he could stand on
one foot and reach down to it with the
other.
If his knees would only quit wobb
ling, he said, he could strike out and
get around with any of them. The man
who steadied him told him they
wouldn't wobble after he got started.
Mr. Middlerlb's confidence in the
steadiness of roller-skate, however, had
been sadly shaken since he got his foot
on it, and it required a great deal of
persuasion on the part of exhibition and
poetic skating on the purl of the exposi
tory artists, to indnce htm to strikeout.
But he struck out at last, with both feet.
East by north ith the left foot, or kind
of up toward the Cedar Rapids depot,
and southeast by south, or in the
general direction of Dickie's mill and
Prospect bluffs, with the o'.her. His
feelings were terrible. Each foot went
further than the other, and gained in
speed at each revolution of the little
wheels. If Mr. Middlerib's legs had
been longer he would have skated
further and faster, and in more widely
diverging directions. As it was just
, before he tore himself in two, one of his
feet struck a bench, and the other a
good but prostrate young man, who
had. If Mr. Middlerib could judge by
the crash which accompanied his arrival
just fallen from the moon. Stroug
hands sustained Mr. Middlerib, and as
sisted him to pull himself together
again; for the owner of the building
had just informed the proprietor of the
rink that if Mr. Middlerib fell again he
would raise the rent. Mr. Middlerib
sighed heavily, and said it was a dread
ful feeling to feel yourself secediug
fairly disiutergrating, as it were aud
no constitutional obstructions to check
the proceeding. He had, however, he
said, rather got the hang of it, and
thought he would now do very well.
If the man, he said, would ouly give
him a helping shove and started him.
And now Mr. Middlerib started off
down the rink like a landslide on legs.
He had not got twenty feet away from
the mau before he made the appalling
discovery that his feet were moving for
ward at a much greater rate than his
body. He thought that maybe he was
making steam too fast, and accordingly
he. shut off and held his feet close to
gether, but they held the start they bad
gained, and evau kept on increasing it-
Mr. Middlerib knew that this could not
last long; he knew the matters would
be brought to a crises very soon ; and he
saw disaster staring him In that face if
he didn't manage to catch up with his
feet very immediately. He remembered
how he used to stop himself when be
was a boy, and raising his toes, he es
sayed to dig his heels iu the floor.
He came a great deal nearer, so the
people said ho saw him go down, dig
ging his toes into the ceiling. But he
dug something into the floor with suf
ficient vehemence to enable him to
"slow up" belore he went through the
end of the building. He said, when
they set him up and let him lean up
against the perforated end of the arnica
bottle, that the ice of his childhood, as
he remembered it, was less addicted to
slivers than the rink surface, and when
a man fell on it, he slid far enough to
break the force of the fall. He then,
asked for a p.iir of skates with air
brakes, and on being informed that
there were none In the market, he sai d
he would take a pair with ttie old fash
ioned, hand brakes, and when he found
there were no skates with those appen
dages, he solemnly said, if he had
known that, be would not have de
pended on them and need not have
fallen. And he said, too, that be be
lieved he had all of the fruit he cared
about. There were men, he confiden
tially informed the attendant who un
harnessed his feet, who never knew
wheu it was time to assu.ue tlie diguity
of manhood, aud the pleasant reset ve of
age, whose gray hairs were a constant
reproach and rebuke to their childish,
imbecile follies aud longings, but for
his part he could Dot countenance such
degenen te mauhood. He loved to wit
ness the sports of youth, but he did not
feel any desire to join in them; and
such a feeling, in any man of mature
years, would be morbid, unhealthy,
foolish and w icked.
The Deacon mad his Cow.
De-aeon Hiram Jones, of St. Paul,
went out to milk his cow the other
morning, while the mercury was nest
ling down among the twenties below
zero. His feet were clad in a light,
close-fitting pair of moccasins.
The cow stood in a cold, hunched-up
posture. He "hysted" her; seated
himself on the stool, took hold in his
usual, energetic, triangular fashion,
and had smashed into about the middle
of the first half of the first squeeze,
when bossy's nigh hand foot suddenly
swung out, and doubled that tin milk
pail flatter than a pair of waffle irons,
while the Deacon tipped backward
from his three-legged stool and sat
down forcibly on his shoulders.
"Coiisarn your pli-ter," said the Dea
con, in short, emphatic tones, starting
up and firing his stool, hitting the side
of tne barn about three feet from the
animal's back.
The culprit, filled with a lively sense
of her depravity, w as, by this time, pi-
roueting around the inner perimeter of
the stable with considerable alacrity.
"I'll lam yer!" again ejaculated the
Ieacon, clenching his teeth, doubling
his fists and darting forward. and plant
ing his right big toe solidly against the
bones just back of Brindle's shoulder.
Then, if a professor of the higher
Christian life had been present, he
would have seen De-acon Hiram eager
ly grab that toe with his bunds, and be
gin hopping arouud tlie stable on one
foot, exclaiming:
"Ow-ow-oo-oo ! Jiminy to blazes!
O-o-o-o!! Ugh!"
And then he would have seen him
mournfully lean up against the man
ger, cautiously work that big toe with
his thumb and finger to see if it was
out of joint, and then, utterly ignoring
tlie presence of the cow, go limping off
to the house, to get the arnica bottle
and relate the circumstances to his
sympathizing family.
Punctuality of Martha Washlng-toa.
Miss Peale, the daughter of James
Peale, tells this story of the punctuality
of Martha Washington : My father had
an engagement to paint a miniature of
Mrs. Washington in Philadelphia, the
general being then out of town. He
was obliged to go to her house, and the
appointment for a first sitting was ar
ranged for seven o'clock in the morn
ing. My father arrived at the house
and taking out hU watch found he
was exactly on time. The thought,
then struck him that possibly It might
be to early to disturb a lady, and he de
cided to give ten minutes' grace before
knocking at the door. He accordingly
walked the pavement, and at the end of
ten minutes pulled out his watch and
rang the bell. He was ushered into the
parlor and Mrs. Washington accosted
him, drew out her watch, and said she
had given her orders for the day, had
heard ber daughter take her lessons on
the harpsichord, had read all the
morning papers, and after all this had
been waiting for him ten minutes.
A Claadestlno Maniac.
Recently were borne from a sumptu
ous house high up on Fifth avenne,
Xew York, for interment in a Connec
ticut town on the Xew Haven road, the
remains of a revered wife and mother.
Half a century ago, when she was tlie
only unmarried dinghter cf an old and
wealthy family of the town in whose
cemetery her body now rests, she came
to Xew York in the bloom and vivacity
of a youth just conscious of it own
power, to visit the friendly household
of one of our first met chants. A pro
longation of her sojourn here did not
excite the remonstrance ot her parents
until they were surprised by informa
tion that her delay was possibly occa
sioned by the frequent calls of a gentle
man, a lieutenant of the British iiavy,
whose attentions seemed ominously
serious, when her mother took the
family carriage precipitately for the city
to convey back forthwith the giddy
damsel. Upon arraignment before the
maternal bar the young lady did not
deny the frequent visits of the alleged
suitor, whom ber Xew York friends
had seen no reason to interfere with;
Indeed, upon stepping into the carriage
to go home (there was no Xew Haveu
Railroad then), she said quite coolly:
"It's useless to find fault uow, ma, for
I am married.
Such, Indeed, was the startling fact.
After a short and only finally suspected
summer's courtship, she and the lieu
tenant had been clandestinely married.
and before the horrified mother and
romantic daughter bad been in their
Connecticut home twenty-four hours,
the bold young sailor was there too, to
claim his wife! But he found her a
prisoner, locked in her own room, and
both parents met his appeals with steady
refusal to acknowledge his authority.
The girl was but a child, they said, not
conscious of her own mind, and they
should resist with every possible form
of law any attempt to remove her from
their custody. The husband, urging
that they loved each other, was told
that she whom he had made his wife,
in name only, now bitterly regretted
her sentimental folly, and wished to
see him no more. Astounded at this
assertion, the young man passionately
impugned its truth. Would he be gen
erous enough to give her up, he was
asked, if she herself assured him of her
desire to that effect? Chivalrously,
though too rashly perhaps, be agreed
so to do, confident, undoubtedly, that
she would prove true to him.
And then came the most extraordi
nary ecene of the little drama. A mar
ried sister strikingly resembling tin
yet imprisoned virgin wife tad been
hastily summoned frooi this city for ths
purpose, and, artfully dressed to inten
sify the resembla-ice, hurriedly eutered
the room where the Lieutenant wad
present, with a friend for a witness, to
learn his fate, and, w th simulated sobs
hastily hid her face on her mother's
bosom. Supposing her to be the wife
whom he agitatedly called by name, the
deceived husband begged her to go with
him. "1 wish to remain with my moth
er !" was the apparen tly tearful answer,
without so much as a glance for him :
and, without another word, the Lieu
tenant bowed to parents and child, and
at once withdrew with his friend from
the room and the house. On his way
back to Xew York by steamboat a fav
orite deg that accompanied him leaped
overboard, and he, plunging instantly
over to the rescue, was drowned.
A Chlnetae Temple of Horror.
A traveler 4hus elescrilics a represen
tation of the punishment of the wicked
after death according to the Buddhist
theory, w hich he w itnessed in the sub
urbs of Canton : After a walk of about
a mile, we came to the "Temple of
Horrors." This is a horrible place
that is, the scenes are hideous. The
intention is to represent what a bad
man would sutler after death. It is
composed of ten different groups of
statuary, made of clay, and many of
them are crumbling to pieces. The
first group represents the trial of a
man; he is surrounded by his fam'ly
and friends, w ho are trying to defend
him; the second, where he is con
demned and given over to the execu
tioner; in the third he is unnergoing a
semi-transformation from the man to
the brute; the fourth is where he U
put into a mill, with his head down
wards, and is being ground up; his
dog is by the side of the mill licking up
his blood. In the fifth scene he Is be
ing placed between two boards, and In
being sawed down lengthwise; sixth,
he is under a large bell, which is rung
nn'il the concussion kills him; sev
enth, the man is placed upon a table,
and two men are paddling him with
large, wooden paddles; eighth, he is
upon a rack, and the executioners are
tearing his flesh with red-hot pine-ers;
r.inth, he is in a cauldron of boiling
lead ; the tenth scene represents him
upon a gridiron, undergoing the pro
cess of roasting. In all these scenes
his family are present; also large fig
ures who represents the judge, execu
tioners, little demons, and various in
struments of torture.
A Chinese Old Batchelor'a Rasa.
The following truthful anecdote of
Chinese social life may Interest and
amuse our readers. A Foocbow car
penter, who has been in foreign employ
for several years, discovered recently
that he had saved money enough to in
dulge In the luxury of matrimony.
Though 33 years of age his choice fell
on a damsel turned 14, and for thia ten
der little morsel the moderate sum of
$250 was asked as a dowry. Before the
event was celebrated, the young lady's
mamma, with true feminine caution,
employed a middleman to inspect the
bridgeroooi. The latter, to make sure
of not being rejected, persuaded his
brother, who i at least ten years youn
ger than himself, to appear for him and
so passed muster. On the wedding day
the elder brother wore a false queue
and carried off bis prize. We are told
that the little girl is already tired of
married life and "wants to go home to
her ms,"
;u