Ipfjj) ft fir i
j IS MIC ill !
SCHWEIER,
THE OOHSTITUTIOI-THE U3n05-AID THE E5P020EKEHT OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XXXV.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA., WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 19, 1SS1.
NO. 3.
CUB L0KG1KG3.
Soot-thing beyond-Sonttthinzbe-bw
is T,gUe- ,,lir
3t
Bat
. .- to ravn .t .
tni onr bi K ' ontttrete -ed
r via; k;-v PmP!'e to
l jt e?oms to onr expectation
Xt vutn Sonu-thing. o veiled from
. ! 1
CUT ob .
b M ocr cry of bl ud d:pleaure
"a-iwi Ujut GjJ wUl crd,"n " "U
1 ,t ! ar'fr, bkt Jer, the painful wisdom
-or obm '' f,er "'T Je)
, M the ionc-- Something in onr E'P.
S faatJ "d 10' ,midst 0Ur bllter t"'
wUn find onr idol shattered.
Or our eaera-hel Lope u a thing of mir ;
l30l uut; ears bave been spent in long-
Fcr 'JonKth Di unworthy of love or care.
Ma a. the boar hen the heart is riven
Ihta a tte h"119 wIien the bhntf"'
fa'J ;
ttow rial whit we have lOTed is wortMes;
ut. tint h cr'"1 P"" of u !
A Church Mouse.
'I uiLSt trut to your instinct, '"muttered
e 'rafeler.lelting lae hridie faJl uPa n,s
"rse's cut, -The eyes of an owl would
e at fault on such a niiilit as this. Be
:,r ctt-Wcct ty breaking my nee i
Ti,c sail! j! had shied so violently as
ry tn throw his rider, and stood trein- j
x D''ttryn'uitil'- 'is master peered
iJuih lie darkness iu the end a. tot to j
'!ki"o the talis1 of his terror. lie could
victive bJ'.re him the dim ouliines of a I
f travtiiniies eiustcred about it. Beside
t,.l s ci'e that he couia tave
jucUJ wixli his whip, he discovered an
iufcstiiict h.te ot'ject crouching upon" one
I tue graves.
Kesoid upon knowing what it was, he
JsL.uuikii ami approached iL As he did
-u, it ar.-ai.d tied rapidly away. With
cu:ii'v now lully aroused he followed
i. At u ni-ared the church it turned sud
:t:ily ami cnulrotitid hin:. At this nio
.; tux a bn.ad j:;are of lighting Cashed ath
iart lht tky aim he saw before him a
.i-iiuj sirl uittsed in a thin, water-soaked
am tu;, litr hair falling in drenched coils
.; !i Ut Uwuiuera, For an instant her
viiii.v iOired lace was turned toward hiru
ad Lit larje, sorrowful eyes met his
utb an appealing look, then she seemed
j u.iii iuto the solid body of the church.
As c:l as tiie darkness permitted, he
i.,i..;:.i . tlie pot w here she had disap
cand, !ut eoiiid find no opening through
iiiiji he tuuld have escajed.
He caiieu al'Uil that he was a friend, and
Lat the hail noting to fear. The only an
;eras the weird wail of the tempest
aruiiih the broken arches. Vith a feeiicg
ikm to si.pi rttittous terror, he hastily re-
'ouuitd his to: se, and did not draw rein
iiil.l be reached the village inn.
ho ociupies the ola church yondei?"
ie ii:(;uind ot thU landlord.
"Ah: you too have seen it, exclaimed
ae lamhoid, mysteriously.
-It;" echoed the traveler. "I saw what
lb' iiiLt to be a poor, demented girL"
"cu saw the spirit of one, answered
he Lost, f jieniuly. 4Erery one here knows
ne siorv. When the was alive her name
i as AUa Morton. Her father died a year
atk, ltaviug her heiress to bis property.
.U Hie as et a minor, he appointed his
mid Mephea tastburn her guardian,
b i. in case of her death unmarried, was
1 lhhent the pn iperty: It is said that he
at, t; aired, and ciuelly ill-treated her.
ue nihi just such a night as this
l-the disappeared. Her hat and cloak
ere f um on the river bank nest inoni
It was plain that the poor creature
ao soiibt ue.lveiance from her persecutor
j siiiuue. That was three mouths ago.
ler bouy was never found, but her spirit
ail been ofien seen in the churchyard,
Li-re her father lies. Meanwhile, th3
lau wlii drove her to ber death lives at
is ease iu her father's house ou the lull."
iLe traveler was evidently deeply mter-
fcled iu the s;ory, but he made do com
mit unou it. Alt-rely informing the land
rd that he should remain lor a week or
vo, he returned to his room.
Like hiaty another young man of for
nie.L'bariea Barclay was afflicted with too
.an b HiMire. His sole objeet in this pari
i the Country w as na-rely a languid search
'.ier auiuteuieut. The landlord's etorv
lad sironjy aroused his curiosity. More-
vtr, the young Eirl s sad. face and be-
h-vcUrg glance in the churchvard had
aGe a slraiye impression upon hlui. Some
amg iu her iuiprobable history had led
iiu to form a vague suspicion of a truth
ar!y as iiiiproliabie.Kagerly accepting the
jtoihle cbauee of an exciting experience,
eaneru.inei to s f t the matter to the
Xtom.
W uhoat dropping a hint as to his inten
.ons, he left the inu on the next night
uon ly after eleven o'clock and proceeded
llle old church. The place was silent
ud Cestrttd; not even a stray dog was to
e seen wjudciiog about the churchyard.
Vn iijt ffabiy da-ary air hung about the
ace. U pie-siiig his spirits and almost re--Jvn.g
him to aliandon Lis object. But a
KtatiiLentol pride urged him on, and he
aui.uuMi u.ace his wv into the church
tad tat tiowu in one of the pews.
xor mure than an hour nothing occurred
attract lus attention, lie became drowsy.
widwaoou the point of falling asleep
ueie ne tat, wh n a low weird peal from
m: o.u oiLau n.oaned through the church,
ie sat ui-ei aud listened with suspended
y "ii.7i. u. me suuud rogg higborand
Atieaier, and presently the sweet but
gmouiLful times of a woman's voice joined
Hit- lie toiiidn.ake out the words of a
raver for the wretched.
Alter a n.onient the mnsic ceased, and
ae c-ould hear the tinner sobhin? in a low.
aeart-broReuway, that brought tears to his
ejes. He strained his eyes through the
"ai&utss, hut could make out nothing.
Aiisinj:, he called out:
hotvirj-ou are, vou are In sorrow
auu allhciion. 1 cannot see you. I will
aa I-un-ue you. All 1 desire is to be your
"ei.u. vi 1,1 yoU answer me? '
i iieic w as uo reply, and the weeping
'ii'ldi i.iy ceased. Alter a moment of hesi
at.oa he made his way to the organ loft
"u e.rucik a match. o one was visible,
or as there the smallest trace of the re
. presence of any living being. Con
siderably startled, be left the church, de
eniiiiitd to repeat his experience on the
"' nig night.
rroviding himself with a dark lantern
je weut to the cliurch nn iIia iuit niirl.t
Jd secreted himself near the organ. As
fore it was nearly miriniirht Iw-torp ha
'tcaiue conscious of the ptccence of another
person in the budding. On this occasion
"worjfui was not played, but there was a
rustle as of a woman's dress, and presently
ne neara the same low Utter weeping.
Quickly arising he shot the rays of the
lantern in the direction whence the sounds
proceeded. JSot more than three yards
irom him in the broad glare of the light he
beheld the girl whom he had met in the
churchyard. S.ie was looking at him with
an expression of intense terror in her white
face and tear-wet eyes. As she stood cow
ering before Lim she reminded him of some
innocent animal crouching at the hunter's
feet. Y ltu an accent of deep pity he ad
dressed her:
"I saw you in the churchyard night be
fore last, I spoke to you last night. I am
not an enemy, nor an idle curiosity seeker.
I earnest lv want to aid you. Will you not
trust me ?"
Keeping her eyes fixed upon him with
the same distrustful look, she answered in
a faint, far-off voice :
Tour friendship or your enmity can be
nothing to me. The world you live in by
its vickedness and crueltv, drove me to
my death. I am doomed to this place un
til justice is done upon my destroyer.
" l ou are try ing to mislead me," ex
claimed Barclay. "You are no spirit, but
a poor.starving.homeless young girL You
have suffered miserably and 1 have resolved
to restore ycu to your rights, as well as ex
act reparation from the man who has
wronged you."
He advanced toward her as he spoke and
stretched out bis arms to seize her. In an
instant she seemed uncertain how to act,
then even as his hand seemed to pass bold
ly through her shape, she melted into the
shadows of the place. This time be did
not pursue her. Her mysterious escape,
which seemed to confirm her own words,
began to impress him with the belief that
he bad indeed confronted a visitant from
the other world.
2ext morning, however, cool reflection
taught him that he might easily have de
ceive himself in his excitement. He there
fore resolved all the more obstinately to
pursue the investigation.
For three nights following the secreted
himself in the church and awaited her ap
pearance, but his watch was fruitless. This
caution on her part lully convinced him
that he was dealing with a human being
and not with au impalpable phantom.
Meantime in pursuance of the suspicion
which the landlord's story had imparted to
him.be found a pretence on which to make
the acquuintance of Stephen East bum. The
man impressed him unfavorably at the
first sight. Tall and eaunt of figure, with
small, leafless gray eyes and a false smile,
he seemed to Barclay to be capable of any
villainy. The young man was careful to
avoid mentioning the supposed ghost, and
departed with an invitation to call again.
On the fourth night Barclayagain secret
ed himself in the church. I', was cold for
the season, and he shivered in his hiding
place despite bis warm clothing. Hour af
ter hour passed away, and he was begin
ning to fear that his errand would agiun
prove fruitless, when a faint light in the
body of the church caught his eye. As it
ruse higher, he could see that it proceeded
from a small heap of sticks ttollected upon
the stone door. Crouching over it, and
extending her thin lingers to the flame, he
beheld the figure of the young girL Evi
dently overcome with the cold, she hod
vestured to indulge in this small comfort
in the hope that it might escape notice. .
Pulling oft hit shoes, Barclay crept up
behind her, and before she was aware of
his presence, seized her in his strong
grasp.
"I knew you were no ghost,' he said,
smiling; "though if you continue this life
much longer you will become one"
She uttered a faint cry of terror, and
sunk upon her knees.
"Spsre me," she sobbed. 'l am only a
poor homeless, friendles girLrt who never
wronged any one. Why do you pursue
met''
"For your own good, ray poor girl," he
said kindiy. "Why will you not believe
me in my good intentions?''
"Why should 1 1" she cried passionately.
"Did not my father's trus:ed friend, the
man who had sworn to be my second father,
seek my life ?"
Ah !" said Barclay, with a start. "Jly
conjecture was true, then. Ue decoyed
you to the river, and after believing you
safely out of the way, he left your cloak
and hat upon the bank to give the impres
sion that you had committed suicide ?
'Yes," she answered; "but the river was
more merciful than be, for it cast me
ashore alive. Sick with horror, and madly
afraid of the whole world, 1 cam here
where my father lay, to die rpon his grave.
But it is hard for one so young to die. I
have lived here these three months, suffer
ing, freezing, dying. That 1 was taken
for my own ghost was fortunate for
me, tor it kept every one away from me,
and aided me to get what little would keep
me alive, after mghtfalL And I encour
aged the superstition. Xow you know alL
If you are that man's emissary, may uod
forgive you and help me.
I am the emissary of mercy, returned
Barclay. "1 am hereto do justice on a
villain and to restore you to your rights.
ill you trust and help me?
She looked at him.
"You have a good, kind face," she said,
offeilng him her hnd, "I will trust you."
"Then." said Barclay, "keep up the
character you have assumed for one more
day. To-morrow night I shall bring East-
burn here with witnesses. Do you piay
on that organ when you hear us enter.
When I turn the dark lantern upon you,
rise; and denounce him as a murdcer. We
can safely leave him to accuse himself."
'I will do as yoiTwish," she answered,
brokenly. "How can 1 thank your'
"By following my directions." replied
Barclay, brusquely, to hide his own emo
tion. With a few words more of advice he left
her. His next move was to go directly to
the landlord of the inn, relate the whole
story, and secure his support.
At ten o clock on the next nigui, in com
nanv with the landlord, he called upon
Stephen Eastbura. Cutting short his smooth
salutation, Barclay said :
"Mr. E-st burn, the obscure manner of
vour ward's death has given rise to strange
rumors in the village. Her spirit is said to
wander in the old church. V e desire you
to accompany us there to-night in order to
set these stones at rest."
Eastburn's jaw dropped, his face grew
livid, and he was barely able to repty in
nimverinir voice.
"Ghost 1 absurd ! Do you mean to make
a fool of met I will not go to the church
at this hour of the night.
"Allow me to observe," said Barclay,
Rternlv. "that the rumors, unless you aid
in dissipating them, may culminate in
rhanre of murder."
Something significant in.his tone seemed
to render iastburn suddenly suomissive.
"Of course I will go, out of politeness,
if vou insist. We shall probably bag a
a church mouse. They are proverbially so
starved as to be incapable of flight."
2so reply was made to his lame attempt
at humor, and in a very uncomfortable
frame of mind he went with them to the
church, and was shown into a pew in the
dark between them. After moment's
silence the low tones of the organ sounded
through the church, accompanied by
woman's voice.
"What is this f cried Eastburn. starting
up. "Whose voice is that?"
"Be sllent."said Barclay, sternly. "Good
reason have you to hear that voice with
guilty horror.1
At the same instant the glass from his
lantern fell broadly upon the organ. Stand
ing nciore it, looking down at them, was
the figure of Ada Morton.
"Oh, God," groaned Eastburn, chok
ingly. ''My bids have found me out. She
has come back from the other world to ac
cuse me of her death."
"Yes," said the girl solemnly. "Stephen
jasiDurn, you are my murderer.
"I confess it," bricked the terror-mad-
dened wretch. "I ask do mercy from
men, for the grave has condemned me.
Take me awav hide me from this awful
sight."
The light was turned out and the girl's
figure disappeared. The horror-smitten
Eastburn, shrieking mingled prayers and
curses, was taken to the village and lm
prisoned on the double charge ot fraud and
attempted murder. In course of time he
was convicted and punished.
On the same day that he was sentenced.
Barclay called upon Ada Morton, now in
stalled in ber father's bouse. With her
restoraticn to her rights she had recovered
ber health and beauty, and it was with
strange feeling of mingled hope and fear
that the young man took her hand and
said :
"1 have called to say good-bye, Miss
jlortoo.
"The bright smile faded from her face,
and a look of pain came in its place.
-You are going away ? I had hoped you
would stav with us.
My work here U done," he answered,
"1 bave restore you to your home,and to
day your enemy receives the punishment
of his crimes. What more is there to do 8"
"Jv'othing," she returned brokenly, "but
to forget tLe poor girl whom you have be
friended. 1 bat will be easy.
"No," he replied earnestly, "no difficult
that I shall never accomplish it. To stay
as your friend is anpcssible. 1 must go
awav and labor to crush out this longing,
this love for you which has overgrown luy
who:e heart, or stay to cherish it for your
sake. Tell me, dear Ada, which must
do?"
She looked up at him shyly, and came
nearer to his side as she whispered
"Stav."
A V lulus'" war Ship.
An interesting discovery has been made
at Sandeherred in orway, of a Scandina
vian war vesscL Buried under a hillock.
a sailing vessel was found, which is thought
to belong to those terrible highwaymen of
the ocean, the Vikings, or Norwegian
pirates. It measures about seventy-five
feet in length, aud is an almost perfect
state of preservalicn. It was armed and
eq uipped as though it bad been abandoned
where found whtn on the point ot sailing
on some adventurous expedition. All the
apparatus used by nautical Norsemen are
met with in this ancient crait, the most of
which is still pretty well intact. There
are fragments of sails and cordage remain
ing, as well as many specimens, either per
fect or incomplete, of utensils and instru
ments, which have been eagerly ex
amined by authorities. Among other things
are a number of pieces of oak
wood, peculiarly shaped, hollowed out in
the centre to admit of ropes being passed
through them. Spades and shields, or
bucklers, bave also been found, or rather
the iron portion of the bucklers, for the
wooden part is entirely gone. Near the
rudder the skeletons of three horses were
discovered. The form of the shields, and
also the manner in which they are sus
pended rouud the interior of the ship, is
absolutely the same as one sees represented
on the beautiful tapestry of Bayeux, in
Normandy which date back to the eleventh
century.
The JflKhttnawle.
One of the most celebrated of song-birds
is the nightingale, or night singer. It is a
migratory bird. Do you know what this
is I It is a bird that visits its northern
home early in the spring, and quits it for
the south early in the autumn. It migrates.
This famous bird is common in nearly
all parts of Europe. It haunts woods,
thickets, and gardens. U migrates into
Egypt and Srna. It has been seen among
the willows of Jordan and the olive trees
ofJudaa. In co pait of Europe is it more
common than in Spain or Italy ; but even
in these southern regions the bird is mi
gratory. 1 he nightingale ts shy in its nauits. its
nest is placed low, and hidden from view.
Its eggs, five in number, are ol an olive
brown. Its food consists of insects, in
color it is brown, with a reiMiah tinge on
the back and taiL
As a songster, the bird is unsurpassed.
Though its notes are heard at intervals
during the day, they are poured forth in
their greatest perfection on quiet evenings,
an hour or two after sunset; and when the
moon is nearly full, and the weather is se
rene, the melodious song of the nightingale
may be beard at midnight.
The late Bishop Stanley, of England,
gives an account of one that he raised from
the nest. It wss kept in a cage two years;
then the cage was hung open at the door,
and the bird was allowed to go out.
At first it returned regularly every even
ing. As the season advanced, it sometimes
stayed out ull night in the garden; but if
called by some one whose voice it knew, it
would return and feed from his band, in
the autumn, as the evenings got cool, it re
turned to its cage again before nightfalL
It was taken as usual into the house, and
was kept there for the winter. This is a
curious instance of the force of habit over
coming the instinct of a bird.
Jt Touchiag Story.
On a narrow island near the New Eng
land coast, where primitive customs still
obtain, where the crier goes about the
streets by day and the watchman by night,
where they dispose of sulphur meat by
auction, and the merry maiden and the tar
go junketing together in an ancient calash,
lives an old lady, Auntie B . The
same roof has sheltered three generations
of ber family, and it would require little
less than an earthquake to dislcdge her
from her seat by the old fashioned fire
place. There she sits, a picture of peace
bud contentment. "Haven't you a single
regret in your whole life ?" we asked her
once. She dropped ber knitting, and a
dreamy look crept over ber placid eyes.
"Yes," she said at length, "1 have, fen
years ago. when my dear dead sister was
alive, a man with a hand-organ came to
this island jy the steamer. Oh I he could
play beautifully. He came near our street,
and my sister says to me: "Let us go
down to the corner and see him play."
Well, do you know, 1 didn't go, after all,
but she said it was just splendid, and, I
suppose I shall regret not hearing that
hand-organ to my dying day." And the
deal old soul dropped tear on the half
heeled slacking.
Life In the TyroL
In the secluded valleys of the Austrian
Tyrol, as this region is sometimes called,
the sports and recreations of the people
are in strict accordance with the spirit of
by-gone days which characterizes the
staunch old race dwelling in the recesses of
these almost inaccessible mountains. Liv
ing in a country lying between two of the
lowest passes of the Alps, which formed
the chief highways between civilized Italy
and i.ugh Germany, and constantly
crossed by victorious or defeated armies,
marching to or returning from Italy, they
have preserved a sturdy, warlike spirit,
fostered by their traditional and steadfast
attachment to the ruling house of llaps
burg. The gentry and superior clsas of
peasantry and mountaineers are very fond
of target-shooting, which almost invariably
follows their weddings, dances and merry
makings, which usually continue through
out the day and night The targets are
placed at a distance of. about two hundred
yards, and consist ?f a fixed bull's-eye and
rings, a figure of a deer at rest and a "run
ning stag." This consists of the wooden
figure if a stag, rigged up by means of a
huge pt n Juluui in such a manner that when
loosened it darts across an open space eucht
feet, in width, between tall aud dense
bushes. The pace at which this imitation
stag traveled was about equal to a living
specimen in fud flight, and the target, set
over the region of the heart, must be hit
whde it parses this space, a momentous
feat, considering the speed with which the
object passer, but I have seen it done sev
eral times in succession ty these expert ri
flemen. A love of the chase seems inher
ent to this hardy people. The black cock
U trao tctrix) belongs to the grouse spe
cies, and the sport requires great hardihood
and patience, and an accurate knowledge
of his peculiarities. Like the pinnated
grouse of the praiiies, he is polygamous,
but, unlike them, is shot during the pairing
season, the bens beiug caret ully spared.
The descriptions the hunters give of the
love-sick bird strut ing and gamboling
around the base of a tree for the edification
of the bens, who crowd around their lord
and master, are ludicrous in the extreme.
His lone song, which cousisu of three dis
tinct notes repeated constantly ut more or
less regular intervals, is frequently his ruin,
for in the midst of hij ecstacies, during the
exeeuti m of the third note, he is insensible
to danger, and becomes an easy prey to
the rule of the expert huntsman. Of
course, if you adopt the English idea of
sport you can build a miniature hut or
blind of bushes in the course of the day,
clost to the tree selected by the jealous old
cock v jr his morning song, patiently await
U-3 advent of the game, and then murder
him in cold blood. But this is far different
from the genuine sport, where foot and
hand, eye and ear, are ou the alert to take
advantage of any indiscretion of your
quick-witted opponent. It is a coulest be
tween the acute intellect of the featherless
biped and th' keen instinct of his leathered
prototype. 1 he golden eagle, the tiger ol
his race, is occasionally seen circling around
his eyrie among the lofty crags, and his
young are sometimes captured by the in
trepid hunter. The; are of immense size,
sometimes measuring eight feet from tip to
tip of the wings, aud are the greatest toes
ol the chamois aud roe buck, as well as
the farmer's slock ol young pigs, kills ami
lambs. I had the pleasurable excitement
of seeing one of these rapacious birds car
rying oil a young chamois, which he had
swooped down upon with resistless fury,
and by the mere force of the concus
sion hurled down the abyss, at the brink
of which it happened to be feeding. Sev
eral times the great weight of the prey
obliged him to loosen his hold upon it
while circling at a terrible Leighl over
ravine and peak. As it fell the eagle
darted after it, and catching it in his claws,
and sinking thirty or forty feet by the
mere impetuosity of his downward flight,
be spread his mighty wings to their widest
extent and resumed bis circling ascent.
with bis prey firmly clutched in his strong
talons. The weddings of the peasantry
are solemnized in the chapel, after the
usual form of the Catholic Church, but
there are some observances connected with
them which have a character of their own.
One ot these consists of presentation of
money to the newly-married couple by each
person, be it man, woman or child, present
at the wedding. The gifts are received by
the godmother of the bride, the mother ;
never being permuted to be present at any
part of her daughter's welding. T he name
of the donor and the amount of the gift is
carefully noted down by a brother or other
re.ation ot the bride, and when the giver
marries he expects the exact amount of his
gift to be returned by the bridegroom. The
gift is never less than two florins, about
one dollar, one of which is to pay for the
supper. Sometimes articles of household
furniture are presented, and in some re
mote valleys the custom still exists of each
of the discarded loveis of the bride present
ing her with a cradle. Thus, a rustic belle
who has for a series of years held her court
in her summer palace, the Alp hut, will
sometimes find a half-dozen of rough crad
les at the front door on tue morniug after
the wedding. But the most comical fea
ture of all occurs when guest after guest
stand forth and in rough, improvised
rhyme and song, accuse the bride or bride
groom of any questionable incideuts in their
lives, and tell tales of former sins, accom
panied by much laughter and shouting.
They are usually assembled at the house of
the "wirth,M or landlord of the village, and
( ance the day and night away, fortited by
copious potations of beer aud numerous
huge dishes of "speck," bacon; "knodels,"
balls of dough fried in lard, and "schmarn"
flour, water, butter and salt. 1 he dance
is the universal valse. varied by an occas
ional independent "hoe-down," by some
of the strapping fellows, who perform suie
strange gymnastics. I have seen one sud
denly spring up from the noor and drop
with a thud upon his knees, and then with
folded arms throw his head back and strike
the hard boards with three or four sound
ing raps, and then regain his feet with i
sudden spring, without touching the fl x
with his hands a feat that many an athlete
of repute could not imitate. Ail this time
their buxom partners are circling round
the room alone, coquettishly spreading out
their short but ample skirts, and encourag
ing their partners to still greater exertions.
The music is generally a tiombone, sax
horn and flute, frequently accompanied by
the "zither, which to many cultivated
ears is the most charming musical instru
ment in existence.
Washington's Appearmae.
"General Washington is a tail, well
made man," said a writer in 179S, "rather
large boned, and has a tolerably genteel
address. IBs features are manly and bold.
his eyes of a blueian cast and very lively :
his hair of a deep brown, his face rather
long and marked with the small pox ; his
complexion sunburnt and without much
color, and his countenance sensible, com
posed, and thoughtful; there is a remark
able air of dignity about him, with a strik
ing degree of gracefulness ; candor, sin
cerity, affability, and simplicity seem to be
the sinking features of his character.
Chicago has SOU churehe? and 3,300
saloons. -
Cameo Cntina.
Caaieo cutting is one of the most profit
able arts to engage in. There are but a
few cutters and there is a steady demand
for all they can produce. The cutters are
very secretive and greatly dislike to talk
about their work. Most of the cameos are
produced frou sea shells. A visit to a
cameo cutter's workshop found him seated
at table covered with tools, varying from
a stiong tnangular-pointed steel instru
ment, to the most delicate pointed bits of
steel wire fastened in handles. Very fine
files and knitting needles, set in wooden
grips and ground to infinitesimal points,
figured in the lot. On a pad of leather,
before the cameo cutter, was a block of
wood just bir enough to be grasped with
bis hand, and cemented to the middle of
it was an oval object that looked like a
piece of alabaster, just big enough to make
a seal for the finger of a man who did not
object to wearing large rings. Upon this
the artist was just finishing a copy, with a
pencU pointed to needle fineness, of a pho
tograph in profile of a gentleman, which
was leaued against a little photograph
easel before him.
Having finished the outline, be laid his
pencU by, and taking up a fine wiie tool
be scratched the pencil mark around with
it. Then he took a darning-needle with a
sharp point and scratched the fine deeper.
He worked with a magnifying glass at bis
eye, and stopped continually to inspect the
progress of his work with critical minute
ness. 1 hen be went at it again, working
slowly, ssratching over the same line again
and again, and always examining after
each scratch. He changed bis tools as he
went on, and from the darning-needle de
scended to a trifling little fragment of steel
wire, not as thick as an ordinary sewing
needle, set in a slender handle. With this
be scratched and rescratched, until the
lines be had drawn with his pencU had
quite vanished, aud a thin, fine streak of
a dark color had marked the outline of the
head he had been tracing his way around.
Next he took one of hiu burin-like tools,
commenced again. This time he worked
on the outside of the outline, cutting and
scraping at the surface untd the white
turned gray, then brown, and finally van
ished, leaving the face in relief, surrounded
by a black ground ; that is, the portrait re
mained intact in the white substance which
formed the outer layer of the cameo, while
it had been cut away around it to the
lower or dark layer. -
The portrait or figure is then modulated
upon its surface until it asoumes the round
ness of nature. The edges are left square
to the dark ground. This is necessary, as,
if they are gradually rounded down, the
outline becomes undefined toward its junc
ture with the relieving surface, owing to
the white of the raised portion being par
tially transparent aud permitting the dark
to show through when it is thiuned down.
Care is taken to finish this dark surface as
much as possible with the cutting tools,
and so separate the white from' it as to
leave it smooth and unscratched. A final
poiish is given it, however, with putty
powder, applied dry with a stiff brush, but
the utmost care is necessary in this opera
tion, as the slightest slip will ruin the
work. This ends the cameo-cutter's work,
the moUnting leing the jeweler's work.
Tito c&ir.cos sell unmounted for about $25.
l.;ily is the home of cameo cutting, and
the finest works of art in that line are still
turned out there. Genoa and Home are
the centres of production. There is a
colony of several thousand cameo-cutters
in Paris who produce some very good
work. The cameos made abroad are, as a
rule, fanciful woiks, copies of statues,
mythological figures and the like. The
sheas used in cameo culling are of several
sorts, but all are ordinary sea shells or
concha. Some come from the East aud
others from the West Indies. Many are
imported, as there is commonly only
enough material available in each one for
a single cameo. These shells ail have a
while surface; but the inner layer is red,
black and dark claret in color, according
to the species. The pieces to be used by
the artist are sawed trout the shells aud
ahaoed into the square or oval form re
quired on a grindstone. Then they are
ready for the artist.
The BtotctucaildaL
The Rothschilds have been attracting no
little attention to themselves here in Paris
by the announcement of the extension o.
the act of partnership, which expired Scptem
ber, S0,1W$0, to l'JOii. Tbe Paris branch of
the famous family is quite large. The
Dowager Baroness Rothschild, who lives
in' he family mansion in the Rue Lafflue,
had five children Baroness Alpbouso,who
is at this date the head of the family:
Baron Solomon, who died a long time ago;
Baron Gustave, Baron Edmond and the J
Baroness Nathaniel Rothschild. 1 he ven
erable dowager is a veritable fountann of
charity. She gives away hundreds of
thousands ot francs every year, in sum
mer she lives in a splendid country house at
Boulogne where apartments for each of
her sons and daughters are kept constantly
in order. Baron and Baroness Alpuonso
ltothschsld live in the old mansion in the
Rue Saint Florentine, where Talleyrand
onee resided. They are gay and extremely
fond of society, and are seen everywhere
in the monde; the Baroness is one of tbe
most accomplished equestriennes who fre
quent tbe Bois de Boulogne. Her husband
is an enthusiastic patron ol the tun. ne
has stables at Meantrif and Chant il y and
lavishes millions on trem. Solomon
Rothschild was delicate-minded man, fond
of conversation, books,pic'.ures and society.
His widow has a daughter who will, it is
said, be the richest heiress in the Paris
family. Baron uustave is the only one
who has married outsi ie the family. One
of the sons of the late Nathaniel Rothschild
just purchased the splendid mansion of
Count Tolstoi, in the Anenue de Friedland;
and another, named Arthur, spends bis
life in collecting books. It is said that no
one else in France except the D'ike d' Au-
male possesses such inestiniab.e treasures
of rare editions and luxurious binding as
this young Rothschild.
A New idea.
"Why, George, now are you getting
along said one young man to anxber in
front of the post office tbe other day.
"Splendid 1 never had so much fun in
all my life," was the other's answer.
"How's that, George I"
"WelL you see, Ned, after I lost my sit
uation all my friends left me. I was de
termined to get even, so 1 circulated a re
port among tbem that I was kthe fortunate
holder of one half of a lottery ticket that
had just drawn a big prize."
"Did it take ?"
"You just bet it took! Why, in two
days I received no less than a dozen invi
talions from fellows that 1 had almost for
gotten. I was presented with two suits of
clothes, four new hats, two dozen em
broidered handkerchiefs, a silk umbrella, a
beautiful amethyst ring and a handsome
pair of gold sleeve buttons. I visited Span
ish fort five times, took one trip to the
jetties on the Cannon and borrowed, all
told, $150 in United Slates currency. Did
il lax r rveu l snouia sume."
Tbe7 Spit oa the Spider."
It was in a smoking-car on the Hudson
River Road. A New Yorker was exhi
biting an invention to several gentlemen,
when an old farmer with a settled look of
sadness on his face, heaved sigh, and
said:
"I never see any such thing without
wanting to weep."
"Nothing about this invention to weep
over that I can see," replied the inventor
"Wall it sort o' calls up old recollectionsT
Twenty years age this month I thought I
had a fortune in my grasp. Yes, sir. I
believed I had struck the biggest thing
since steam was brought into use.'
"What was iti"
"One day when the old woman was flat
down with her lame leg I bad to cook my
own dinner. Avter I got the pancake
batter all fixed up, I couldn't find the
greased rag the old woman used to rub over
the spider. Sort o' absent-minded like I
picked up piece of raw turnip from the
table and used it instead. It worked to a
charm nc smell no smoke no stick."
He paused here to wipe away a tear,
and then continued:
-There was the fortune. I figured that
9,000,001) greased rag were in use in this
country five months in tbe year. 50,000
barrels of grease were used up greasing
spiders. Over a hundred thousand dollars
wasted asd gone. One turnip would make
six greasers; 1,000 bushels would make
enough to supply the country. All that
was needed was to cut them out in fancy
style, affix a handle, and go to supplying
tbe demand at ten cents each.'
'There was money in it."
5 "No. there wasn't. 1 bought a hundred
bushels of turnips. $56 worth of wire, and
hired two men to go to work, and then 1
took a greaser and went over into Vermont
U see how it would take. They wouldn't
have it. They had something more simple
and much cheaper."
"What could it have been?"
"They spit on tbe spider! " replied the
old man as a tear made a break down his
nose and was swallowed up in the dust on
the floor.
The Queen of Italy.
The Queen of Italy, was recently driv
ing to the royal wood of Licalo, when the
coachman mistook the icad, and one of
the gentlemen asked a countryman the way.
The man, seeing tbe fine carriage and
horses, thought he was being fooled. "As
if you did not know !" he said, with a big
grin. The Queen laughed, and assured
him they were lost. Then only did the
countryman condescend to point out the
way, after which be walked off, as if fear
ing to be laughed at again.
"Give him twenty francs form's trouble.
said the Queen to one of ber escort, who
going after the countryman said to him :
"Here, my man, is a little present from
tbe Queen of Italy, who thanks you."
"The Queen P cried the countryman,
returning to the carriage. "Forgive me
that I did not know thee. But 1 had never
seen thee before. Thoa art as beautiful as
a May rose. God bless thee.'' And the
carriage drove off.
Now the countryman, who had once
seen the Queen, wanted to see her pretty
face again, and the followingjlay he pre
sented himself at the palace.
"I know her, you know," be added mys
teriously. "1 spoke to her yesterday, and
I want to speak to her again."
Thinking Le had to do with a midman,
the porter was about to have the poor fel
low arrested, when the very gentleman
who bad given him the twenty francs ap
peared and, recognizing the man, told him
to wait, lie informed the Queen of his
presence. "Bring him here, by all means,"
was the answer.
When tbe man was, for the second time,
before the Queen, he said: "Yes, 'tis
thou. I thought 1 had seen a fairy. Thou
art just an acgeL I did not tell thee yes
terday that 1 havj two little ones without
a mother. VN lit thou be their mother '"
"That I will," said tbe Queen.
"Then there's the twenty francs thou
gavest me yesterday. I thank thee, but I
want no money." And he went away,
crying and smiling like a child.
Tbe Queen has adopted the two little
ones, and they are in an institution, under
ber special patronage.
Remarkable Caae ot "tirartlotf."
Lucy Osborn, who had her scalp torn
from her head by getting her hair caught
in a revolving shaft in a button factory at
New Milford,six years ago, is still an inmate
of St. Luke's Hospital in New l ork. Dur
ing the past six years the doctors have been
grafting on a new scalp by slow process,
and the operation as a whole has been suc
cessful. The material for building the
scalp has been furnished by hundreds of
volunteers, and over fourteen thousand
different pUcci bave entered into its
construction. , In the accident in which
she was injured the scalp was taken clean
off, the skin being peeled from tbe bone,
and taking with it a piece of the integu
ment of the right ear. Tbe process of in
ducing the scalp to grow is a slow and
tedious one, and out of three hundred and
fifty grafts which bad been planted up to
May 1, 1875, but forty had taken. In 1877,
grafting ceased for a time, and the head
was strapped with adhesive plaster to draw
together the newly formed skin, which ap
peared in patches over ber head. I he pa
tient was discharged as improved July 1,
18i 6, but returned in the following Sep
tember. She then bad two uncovered
spots on the head, the larger four and one
half inches long. More grafting was dene,
nearly covering these spots, and the patient
went home. September she returned with
two ulcers on the back of ber head, and is
again undergoing the grafting treatment.
Jiaterlal aacankeroeUy.
Two eminent men of one of the Cam-
bridge colleges were one day taking a walk
in their delicious grove. 1 bey had an ar
gument, in which one of the men could
not do justice to any view that conflicted
with his own. "1 tell you what it is, my
friend," at last said his opponent, "the
fact is that you have got a twist in your
mind." The man of twisted mind has
since become very famous, but many of
his friends consider that the twist is very
oalDable. It was a favorite saying of
Leasing, the philosopher, which his biogra
phers call upon us to admire exceedingly,
that if the truth were offered him on the
one hand and the search after truth on tbe
other hand, he would prefer to search.
Now here is a case of "the twist." 1 hum
bly think that this is a case of mental can
tankerosity. If truth were worth the
searching for, it might be supposed that it
would be worth tbe having. All those
who have followed the Socratic dialogues
of search know the great and peculiar
charm of this method of investigation.
Still, truth is the first thing necessary, and
the second thing necessary, and the third
thing necessary ; and the man who could
have talked this way must have been can
tankerous, at least to the extent of not
caripg for the truth, an opinion which
seems to gain ground the more one under
stands Leasing.
Animal In-tlnec.
The dipper or waterouse is well known
to ornithologists as one of the most curious
and interesting of British birds. Its spe
cial habitat is clear mountain streams.
These it never leaves except to visit the
lakes into which or from which they flow.
W ithout the assistance of webbed feet.
has extraordinary powers ol swimmmg
and ot diving moving about upon and
under the surf ace with more than tbe ease
and dexterity of a fish hunting along the
bottom as if it had no power to float
floating on tbe top as if it had no power to
sink now diving where tbe stream
smooth, now where it is quick and broken,
and suddenly reappearing perched on the
summit of some projecting point. Its
plumage is in perfect harmony with its
haunts dark, with a pure white breast,
which looks exactly like one of the flashes
of light so numerous in rapid streams, or
one of tbe little balls of foam which loiter
among the stones. Its very song is set to
the music of rapid waters. From the top
of a bank one can often get quite close to
it when it is singing, and the harmony of
its cotes with the tinkling of the stream is
really curious. It sings too, when all
other birds but the robin is rilent when
the stones on which it sits are circled and
rimmed with ice. No bird, perhaps, is
more specially adapted to a very special
home and very peculiar habits of life. The
same species of other forms so closely
similar as to seem mere varieties, are
found in almost every country of the world
where there are mountain streams. And
yet it is a species having no very near
affinity with any other bird, and it consti
tutes by itself a separate genus. It is,
therefore, a species of great interest to the
naturalist, and raises some of tbe most
perplexing questions connected with the
"origin of species." In 1S74 a pair of
these birds built their nest at Inverary, in
a hole in the wall ot a small tunnel con
structed to carry a rivulet under tbe walk
of a pleasure-ground. The season was
one of great drougtit, and the rivulet, dur
ing the whole time of incubation and the
growth of the young in the nest, was nearly
entirely dry. One of the nestlings, when
almost fully fledged, was taken out by the
hand for examination, an operation which
so alarmed the others that they darted out
of the bole and ran and fluttered down the
tunnel towards its mouth. At that point
a considerable pool of water had survived
the drought, and 1 ly in the path of tbe
fugitives. They did not at all appear to
seek it ; ou the contrary their flight seemed
to be as aimless as that of any other fledg
ling would have been in the same predica-
meuL But oue ef them stumbled into the
pooL The effect was most curious. When
the young bird touched the wa'.er, there
was a moment of pause, as if the creature
was surprised, 'then instantly there
seemed to wake within it the sense of its
hereditary powers. Down it dived with
all the facility of its parents, and the ac
tion of its wings under the water was a
beautiful exhibition of the double adapta
tion to progression in two very different
elements, which is peculiar to the wings
of most of the diving birds. The young
dipper was immediately lost to sight
among some weeds, and so loot did it re
main under water that I feared it must be
drowned. But in due tune it reappeared
all right, and being recaptured, was re
placed in the nest.
A Terrlole onntry.
The Valky of Death, a spot almost as
terrible as the prophet's valley of dry bones,
lies just north of the old Mormon road to
California a region thirty miles long by
thirty broad, and surrounded, except at
two points, by inaccessible mountains. It
is totally devoid of water and vegetalion.
and the shadow of bird or wild beast never
darkens iu white, glaring sands. The
Kansas Pacific Railroad engineers discover
ed it, and also some papers which show the
fate of the 'last Montgomery train,' which
went South from Salt Lake in ISoO,
guided by a Mormon. When near Death's
V alloy, some came to the conclusion that
the Mormons knew nothing about the coun
try, so they appointed one of their number
a 1- ader, and broke off from their party.
The leader turned due West; so with the
people and wagons and flocks be traveled
three days, and then descended into the
broad valley, whose treacherous mirage
promised water. They reached the centre
bdt only the white sand, bounded tiy
scorching peaks, met their gaze. And
around tue valley they wandered, and one
by one the men died, and the panting flocks
stretched themselves in death under the
sun. Then the children, crying for water.
died at their mother's breasts, and with
swollen tongues and burning vitals, the
mothers followed. Wagon after wagon was
abandoned, and strong men tottered and
raved and died. After a week wander
ing, a dozen survivors found some water in
the hollow of a mountain. It lasted but a
short time, when all perished but two, who
escaped out of the valley and followed the
frail of their former couipanioua. Eighty-
seveu families, with hundreds ot animals.
perished here, and now, after tmrty-one
years, tbe wagons stand still complete, the
iron work aud tire are bright, aud the
shriveled skeletons he side by aide-
John Chinaman, SL. D-
Chinese quacks do a profitable busines
wilh white patients as well as with tbei'
Mongolian countrymen in ban r rancisco
ln health the average citizen sneers at the
metlyxls of tbe Chinese empire ; but tor
tured by iocdrable disease be flees to the
Mongolian quack for the comfort denied by
couiiietent white practitioners. The Mon
golian quack humors him to his full bent
with promises of restored health, and the
poor victim cheerfully bestows his last dol
lar on the impostor. A prominent physic
ian has on exhibition a quantity of Chinese
medicines, which were left unclaimed at
thecustom-house. The collection comprised
roots, bark, dried lizards and toads, snake
skins, urjclassifiable herbs aud a lot of pills
as large as baseballs. The pills, which
were the most remarkable things in the
collection, were, literally speaking, gill
edged and common-place. They were
marked in the inveutory which accompan
ied the medicine chest as "good for gen
eral debility." Among the medicines
highly recommended was a "wasp's nest
for pain in the back." For vertigo, the
Celestial authority recommended scraping
of deers' horns; tor rheumatism, a quart of
boiled water made palatable by a toad's
skin and the teeth of a snake; for every
other kind of diseise, medicines equally
ridiculous and significant of a hopeless
condition of ignorance. These quacks
are simply shrewd adventurers. One of
the most successful of these impostors was
a fisherman, whom white speculators set
up in business. The principal cause of the
backwardness of the Chinese in medical
science is their religion. They are spirit
ualists and fatalists. They have neither a
very deep fear of death, nor do they be
lieve that they can die in any way but as
ordained by fate. Lately medical missions,
with both American and English Profes
sors, have been established in China, and
some steps have been made from the bar
barous position occupied by the healer's
art.
BRIEFS.
The Prince of Wale pa.d er
thirty-sixth birthday on Christmas.
Murphy Induced 800 people to
sign the temperance pledge in Indiana.
Dnbuque's school census show
9,476 children between the ages 5 and
21.
The late Judge Pelej Spr3gue. of
Boston, left an estate valued at 191,
983 58.
A sausage fifty-two fet lonz was
made at Altoona, Pa., by Jacob F.
Almes.
The population of Orison Is:
Males, 103,3X8; females, 71 37'J total,
74.7G3.
Detroit reports the erection ot
twelve hundred buildings during the
past year.
The President of Buenos Ayrcs of
fers free lands to fifty thousand Irish
emigrants.
Messrs Moody and Sank have
refused to go and labor in Virginia
City, Xev.
The Edgar Thomson steel works
are said to have orders for SU.000 tou
of steel rails.
The old home of President L'noohi
in Springfield, 111., is now a cheap
lodging bouie.
Speaker Randall ha- had an arute
stuck of gout since Congress alojuin
ed, but Is better.
The motive power of the Peiin-y 1-
vania railroad is now working to its
utmost capacity.
Utah ha population of 1 1 T,ft '7.
or whom t3,436 are females and 13, W3
of foreign binh.
Eighty million dollars' wurrh of
hogs are solj every year by the L". S.
to lortign lands.
In Pennsylvania there a"- S7 d.tily
newspapers, 611 weekly and 137 1 1 lers.
tuakiug a total ol 83 i.
The Czir has placed 300.0! '0 ter-
ling in a Berlin lia-ik in the nime ol
the Princess Dolgorouki.
The fund of $l:tt.000 tor tie H u-
vard Divinity School, at Cambridge.
Mass., has been made up.
The amount of butler now mi It
in Iowa creameries is e.-ttiuatej a: 5.-
000,000 pounds per annum.
Only $1 for each $23.00 ' of iriii-
al property is said to hnve been given
for foreign mission last year.
The conooli lati n ot the Xjw
Orleans. Pacific and Texas Pat-ifij r tit-
roads has been consummated.
Two of General G trfljld's sous ar-s
to enter w iliiams College next v'-ar.
One is seventeen, the other tiiteeu.
Braz'l, covering nearly htlf of
South America, has a popul ition of
13,000,000, ot winch over a million are
slaves.
The imports of Great Britain i:itu
date exceed those of la-t year bv vr
$350,000,000, the exports by over $130,
000,000. Ther are more tu.vi 3,0i'0.i!x) wo
men in England and W ales tr iu-j; to
earn a living in tbe various trades and
industries.
It is staled thai the f.niiilv of J. W.
Mackey, tbe bonanza kiii. live- in
Paris at the rate ot nearly $t,0u0,00)
per annum.
Kate Lavler. who manses the Roy
alty theatre, London, will Mrs-vear the
stage and wed a youth with a fortune
of 230,000.
Il 1870 the gain to the revenue of
the U. S., from the inen- I cla-i-iti-
cation of sugar was $303 307. uiiJ in
1880, $1,239,872.
The value of Americin exo'irr for
the year ending O.-tober:!! n va G7-. "
941,227, against $743.5UO,5tl for the
year preceeding.
'ustice Hunt of the United S;:itts
Supreme Court has learned to write
with his left hand since his rizlithaud
became ptralyzid.
Mr. Thomas Carlyle has iust com
pleted his eighty-fifth year. His
friends show much anxiecy about tho
state of his health.
The annual prlne;tlnn of kero
sene is now aoou. 15.0OJJX0 iralloas.
The first oil well was suuk nearly
twenty-one years ago.
The Bank of Franco Is a govern
ment institution. Its circul hkki U
$4G6,75J,OJO. Its capital is $3ii, 5 ,0,000
and il has 62 branches.
It is estimated that the siiir-cane
croo of Louisiana will yield Uii- year
w.ooo hogshead of sugar, ami 13.000,-
000 gallons of met tsses.
Mile. Bernhardt proposes hereaf
ter to prosecute whoever circulates
false reports about her life, whether
he be a clergyman or other.
Berlin, the German Capital, has a
population of l,HS,t3j, which is an
increase of 16 per cent since IsTi aad
of over 100 per cent since 1503.
Minneapolis boasts of a grown
from 6 809 in I860 to 48,053 in 1581.
Her bonded Indebtedness is $100,0 i0.
Ouly one-tenth of her waler-poer
has been uulized.
The average price paid lor silver
bullion of standard fineness lor tho
past year, by the Treasury Depart
ment, of the U. S. was equivalent to
52.7 pence per ounce.
Director BurcharJ, of the Uaite i
States mints, estimates the auirial con
sumption f gold and stiver in nitnu-
lact'ires and the arts at il2')hMM.
$7,000,000 of which is gjld.
The population of Berlin, includ
ing the military eletueul, now num
bers 1,118,630, or an increase ot lol.-
39J. or 16 per cent, on the thiourea of
la7o, which were only 901,2 1 .
Theie were 23.737 applications to
enter the United Stales regular army
last year, when only o.OOO men worn
wanted. Oi tbe 5,000 who were acjeoi-
ed 3,441 were boru in America.
Th Indianapolis, Peru and C iici'o
road in the teu mouths en tin; N ovem
ber 1, 1880, received auJ forwarjjl at
Indiauapolis 6 1,211 cars, while in tUo
year 1879 but 51,4J2 were handled.
The number of people rfscuj-1 from
wrecks by the lllo-iivin servte- f
the U. S. during the past year w ts 70J,
besides which 128 vessels wuti their
crews were aided out ot dtnerous
laMilions.
A handsome obelisk has been com
pleted at Berlin and seui for ereciiou
at Folkestone, In memory of the vic
tims of the disaster which overio a the
Grosser Kurfurs;. 1c ia dedicated to
their memory by the German Navy.
The Utile Prince of Cumberl and.
Princess i'hyra's son and Alex in Ira's
nephew, has just been baptized, re
ceiving ten Christaia names U ;orgi
William Cnriatam Albert Elward
Alexandra Frederick Waldeiu.tr Ernes;.
Adolf.
A STkASGEK In Galveston as'kel an
old resident now malarial fever coul i
be distinguished from yellow lever.
"As a general thing," was the reply,
"you can't tell until you have tried it.
If you ain't alive.theu It is most likely
yellow fever."
;
-in
:i-l
4-'
.
-4