ft, frt B. P. BOHWEIKK, thx oox8nrnnoi-Tis ueoi-aid tee EmMnmrr or TBS LAYl Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XXXVI. MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA., WEDNESDAY. FBRUAll '22. 1SS2. NO. 7. . J!.'.,- J' ! l fift . ... fl " IT IS COMMON! 80 are the stars in the an-hinr skies, So in the smile In the children's eyes; Common the life-giving breath of the Siring, so are the songs which the wild Mnls aim; : BlrueJ be tlod, the; are common. Common the jrra-ts in its glowing green. So in the water's glistening sheen ; Common the sittings of love ant mirth So are the precoas gifts of earth. Coami the fragrance of rosy June; So ia the geuerous harvest-moon ; So are the towering, might j hills, So are the twittering, trickling nil. Common the beautiful Untsof the Fall: So is the sun, which is over all; Common the nun, with Its paltering feet So Is the liread, whk-h we daily eat : Blessed be Uott, it ia common ! So is the sea. in his wild unrest Kissing forever the earth's brown breast ! So is the voice of undying prayer, Evermore piercing the ambient air ! So, auto all, are the "promises" given ; So, unto all, is the hope of heaven ; common the rest from the wear; strife So Is the life which Is after life ! " Blessed be God. it ia common t A STORY Or A NIGHT. The Ocean liouse parlors were crowd ed tliat lovely August night, and Mor daunt Leslie leant, d against one of the windows in a lazy, lounging attitude, that betokened a very faint interest in the gay merry making that was going on, in the exquisite music of the band, to which scores of feet were making rythmic fall iu the graceful evolutions of the troit temp, or even in the bevy of pretty, elaliorately-dressed women who passed by his post of relief like the swift brilliant chances of a kaleido scope. He was a fine-loukiug fellow, dressed iu the regulation evening costume, and looked every inch the refined, well-bred gentleman he was. Just now, however, there was a very perceptible deepening of a shadow that had been growing on his handsome face ever t-ince a day, a month ago, when he had been presented to Violet Verne. Just now there was almost a hopeless despair in his deep set, splendid gray eyes, as a slight fairy-Like creature K tid ed slowly, gracefully past him in a dance a girl with eyes that matched her name tender, loving eyes, whose violet tints deepened to almost liquid darkness as slid looked up at him, half-smiling, half -adoring, as she came within the range of his ard int. gloomy eyes. Ha was conscious of a suffocating quickening of his heart-beats; he was conscious of a wild, passionate yearning toward this slender, lovely girl, whose face lighted so at sight of him whose faintest flush set his heart madly throb bing; and the wild wishfuluess aud yearning tenderness almost maddened him with their savage strength, as he watched her, a picture in her navy blue hilk, with cardinal ribbons setting off ho uniquely her piquant brunette beau - tr He compressed lus lips with the stub- loru dctcruiinatiou of a man who knows he is bound to wage war with himself, aud not only to wage the war and fight I he battle but gain undoubted victory, lie looked after her one long, long min ute, and then turned resolutely away.to almost gasp for breath as he saw Olyin pia Osmond's face smiling in his Ulympia Osmond, the fair stately, yellow-haired girl, who wore on her finger the blazing solitaire his hands had placed there, three months before, when he had asked her to be his wife, It h-ul been a pleasant enough woo ing. Mr. Leslie had been attracted to her by her evident supreme disregard of him, whom women were prone to make a good deal of, on account of his god like lieauty aud kingly presence, no less than his fabulous wealth and high so cial position. He admired Miss Osmond for her un deniable leanty, regular, girlish fea ture, as cold aud passionless iu expres sion as perfect in outliue. Then her dis regard for him piqued him, all unused as he waa to being disregarded, inen, when some one told him that Miss Os mond had said she disapproved highly of penniless girls making a market of their charms to entrap wealthy hushands,and that she for one should lead the crusade in favor of reform on that score, then Mordauut LesLe felt that the time and the woman had come, aud hedelilH-rately set himself to wiu this fair-haired, pas sionless girl, who was so difficult to woo that the task gahied in importance, and man like, the wooer gained iu eager deterniiiieduess, utill the fortress finally yielded, aud Miss Osmond blusliingly acknowledged her defection from the ranks of the crusade she had avowed her intention of leading, Leslie had been content: nothing more, for his h:urt had only been super ficially touched. His pride was gratified at owning such a splendid creature as Olympia Osmond, aud at being envied byother leas fortunate men; and . there its topped, although his manner was perfect to the beautiful woman, who moved so regally grand throng his mag nificently appointed household. So he had beeu perfectly content;and had told himself he had not the capa bility of ardent, interne love for any woman, and had played the lover very agreeable to his betrothed, and had his carriage and horses at the sea-shore for her especial benpfit while her cross old aunt, in a thank ulness that Olympia would soon be off her hands for good, made an extra effort aud dressed the girl like a piincess, and made her the belle of the Branch until Miss Verne came, heralded by the newspaper cor respondents, who described her looks, her manners, her toilette, her carriage and her pair, her jewels, until all the men were the qui fire of dying curiosi ty, aud the women in a conditiou of the guest wrought envy. She came a tiuv little lady, as nnas Burning as lively, as graciously sweet as dignified, who took male and female hearts alike by storm, and who, made Mordaunt Leslie .--oost mad for love of her; who taught him. all too late, that bin real, true love had slept the enchant ed sleep, until Violet Verne's dainty lii broken the sielL That was the condition of affairs that lovely August night, when Mordaunt Leslie turned away from looking after Mia irirl who was like light to nis eyes, uul met the eooL placid face of the woman he was to marry in less than a month. Miss Osmond was leaning gracefully on a gentleman's arm a stranger to Leslie and Miss Osmond quietly in tmdnoed the two. "Mordaunt, this is Mr. Helvernon.an M fn'on.l of mine. Mr. Helvernon. Mr. Leslie, to whom I am engaged to be married. . It smote Mordaunt like chill of icy air, that calm possessionsnip 01 mm. And yet, why should it? It was true, he was engaged to lie married to her, and a remembrance of Violet Verne'a lovely eyes came up iielore lam maddeningly. He bowed; and gave Mr. Helvernon his hand, and said some pleasant word. then asked Olympia if she was enjoying uerseoi. Miss Osborne smiled languidly. "Oh, yes thank you. Very much. The music is delicious, and I have been bleased with good partners. I didn't see you dancing, Mordaunt, after the Liancers. Oh, doesn t Miss Verne look exquisite to-night? She is the very first who has worn cardinal and navy bine, ana now it becomes her! How unfor tunate that I am not dark!" She was coming toward them aloue, a faint suggestion of the odor of vio lets heralded her, and Leslie felt his pulse quicken and his breath come in short respirations. Miss Osmond met her with the elTu sion that it was the proper thing to show the beautiful young heiress. "My dearest Miss Verne, we were all admiring you in the troit tempt, weren't we, gentlemen? Oh, Mr. Hel vera ton, that is our quadrille! Excuse us please!" For a second Mr. Leslie wondered at Olympia's uuwouted excitement; then he remembered he jras alone with this girl, with her violet eyes and droopuig lashes. The temptation was fiercely strong on him should he ask her to go for a quick walk on the sands? He knew it was he height of mad, presumptuous, unpardonable folly, aud yet, only to feel her slight form on his arm, to look down in her eyes, to hear the tones of her voiee! ShoulJ he commit this folly, this heavenly imprudence? And fate took it iu her own hands on the spot, for Miss Verne gathered up her silken train in one baud, aud looked up Lalf-fmiling at him. "Would yon be bored if I asked you to take me a little stroll on the sands? The moonlight is so delicious, and the air so crisp." And so Violet Verne took his ariii.aud they two sauntered away from the music, and the lights, and the crowd, and the dancing, down the softlv-liip- ping waves and the numerous songs they chanted to the white moonlight. lhere were only a few couples loiter ing there, arm-in-arm, soft-voiced, lagging-stepped lovers, and every nerve iu Mordaunt Jjeslie s frame thrilled to the mockery of the time the scene, and the influence of both. The girl on his arm was so passing fair to see, with her flushed cheeks so temptingly lovely, her long, dark lashes sweeping them, her dainty hand lying like a suownake ou his arm, and her sweet vibrating voice coming to his ear like some melody that enchanted him that made him feel he had forever for feited all hope of ever hearing it intone love words to him. They walked along, close to the wa ter's edge, silent with a silence that was more eloquent than language, while Mordauut Leslie felt his whole soul ris ing up in consternation at the blissful happiness he was enjoying. He felt a paradoxical sensation of reveling in what he knew was not lawful, and Mor daunt Leslie, was a man of honor to the heart's core, despite the slip he made himself make that seductive night in moouliglit on the sea-sands. That was how he came to lose all thought of Olympia Osmond, all thought of duty, all thought of anything but the witching creature who leaned on his arm, and whose dropping lids were as eloquent of her feelings at the time as was her silence 'J. hat was how it happened that, in a moment of ungovernable feeling, Mor daunt Leslie , who all his life had con scientiously thought himself heart less, indillerent Mordaunt Leslie sud denly stopped in their slow promenade, and snatched Violet Verne to his heart with a fierce, abrupt passion in the act that was bo indicative of the equal fer vor aud hopelessness of his love. He kissed her mouth, her forehead. her lustrous hair, her flushed cheeks, like one whose heart was starviug for affection. Hcalled here name over and over in a perfect agony of passion! ul longing, then, as if suddenly aware of the wickedness of his behavior, he drop ped her quivering hands and stood away a step from her. 'Miss erne lolet, have mercy on me! 1 lty me lorgive mel as there is a God in heaven I deserve only pity and pardon from you yon, the only woman I ever loved. Oh, Violet, Violet, my darling, my sweet" Hut voice fairly vibrated with pain. and Miss Verne looked up in his white face, half wonderirjgly.with little flushes and pallors alternating on her own, with all the sweet, shy light of answering love in her eyes. Please dont talk so Air. Leslie! Don't tell me to pity or forgive you, be cause because" She hesitated, and the warm blood suffused her very hands. Leslie groaned in almost deathly an guish at her evident love and trust, and happiness. What had he done, brute, fiend that be was? She must know the truth, all the truth that comprised his unpardonable sin, and her own heart-soreness she must know, and at once, and then well, alter she had once turned away from him, in the just wrath and horror in which he knew she would turn away when he con fessed his rascality, then it mattered little what came to him. Ho nerved himself, in all his weak ness, like a man might nerve nimseu ior a death-blow. He felt his heart growing a heavy, icy lump; he heard the roaring of the sea, as if it were a thousand miles away; he saw the look of consternation on the girl's face, that changed to fear. to horror, to such mortal woe, as he rushed like a doom through the confes sion he whs bound to make, and told her, on his knees, how he was to marry Olympia Osmond how he bad learned the lesson too late how he cursed him self for blighting her sweet young life that bad never before known a cloud. She listened, with a deathly aehening on her face, with a hopeless pain in her ejes, whose patience almost killed him to see. Then after a silence of several terrible minutes, her low, strengthful, yet ago nized voice answered him. "Mr. Leslie, it is not in my heart to hate you for this. How could I when you love you me so, and I Jove you just as well ? You must try and not mind me, but be happy as you can with your yonr wife. And then her voice deserted her, and she turned auickiy away, the tears flowing in warm, salt torrents down her cheeks. That was the way she gave him up, this pure-hearted, grand-natured girl ; and she went back to the Ocean House. side by side with him, yet separated as if by eternities went to her room, and knelt to pray God to help her bear it, to help him to bear it Down in the parlors the music was still crashing in loud sweet strains, and Mordaunt Leslie walked away from the hideous mockery of gaiety aud hap piness away to the furthest end of the long verandah, where the moonlight came only dimly, and where, in one of a dozen vacant chairs, he threw him self, in sheer prostration of spirit, in utter horror at the prospect that stretch ed endlessly before him, in anguished dismay at what he had left behind him. Into the almr Bt unendurable pain of that vigil, a woman's voice, low, in tense, earnest, broke with sudden voice a woman's voice, from just oa the other side of him of whose presence Leslie had no knowledge until he heard her speak until, with a start almost as keenly sharp as if he had taken an electric shock, he recognized Olympia Osmond and Mr. Helvernon as the speakers. '-There is no use of our recalling it. Harold no possible use. I told you then that was four yeais ago that. although I loved yon as I never should lvve auother man, I should not marry except for fortune. I tell yon to-night. Harry, as frankly as then, I shall marry Mordaunt Leslie, because he can give me the wealth my soul craves and will have. Mr. Helvernou's quick, eager answer came: Yon are too cruel, too heartless. Olympia! The woman never lived who could deliberately act.and talk a you do; and by the heavens above us, I have a miud to go to Leslie with the story, and make him give von up! Leslie straightened in his chair, and listened to Miss Osmond's low, cold laugh. "No, yon wouldn't Harry, and if you did it would be of no avail. He believes in me implicitly. Why, for months I succeeding in convincing him I would not look at a man who had money poor dupe when all the while I was in agouies lest I should let him slip. So you see, Harry, that I shall lie all I de sired rich, courted, envied, humored Mordauut suddenly stepped in front of tte two, a perfect glory of thankful relief on his face, a perfectly crushing contempt aud disgust in his words. "Permit me to add. Miss Osmond, as one who is only too jubilant at his nar row escape, that not as the wife of Mor daunt Leslie, will you leap your reward. From this moment I consider myself well released from my engagement to you. Be so kind as to return to me the visible form ef our late betrothal. He stood there like a prince in his glad, stern authority.aud Miss Osmond's face blanched to the hue of the ivory silk she wore, as she returned his culm glance in speechless confusion aud rage. "The ring if you please.Miss Osmond. Thanks very much. Good -by. Good night sir." He tossed the glittering toy clear off the lawn, the avenue, the bluff, the sands, into the ocean, and walked away, almost staggering under the weight of the glory of happiness suddenly opened to him. He was free free as the air; aud Vio let loved him Violet his darling, his treasure, his dear oue. He looked at his watch, it was not late, half-past eleven, not too late to claim his love f x his own before thnt fated day ended. So he rushed into his room and penciled a short imploring note, half -explaining, baiJJou treating her to come to him for only one mo ment, to tell him she would take him for all and forever. Then he waited for her, in the hush of the midnight that was coming wait ed for just one glance of her eyes to think of till the morrow v aited while the servant delivered the message andwss gone,ob, so long,so long, and then came back white-faced and trembling-voiced. to say that the doctor was there, but said Miss Verne was dead. They had found her kneeling by her bed, fifteen minutes before, but nothing could be done heart disease, undoubtedly. And so was recorded the romance of Moidaunt Leslie's lonely life the story of oue night whose shadow of sunless darkness never should nft again lor him. St mod Back. In the pioneer days of Michigan a horse thief or a murderer stood as good a chance of being run up to a limb as one of those characters does now in the far West One night thirty years ago, a stranger who had not only stole a horse, but shot one of his pursuers, was over hauled near DeWitt, Clinton Coun ty ,'aud taken to jaiL In half an hour a mob was drammed up and proceeded to the jail to remove the prisoner and hang him. One of the foremost was a lawyer named Green, dead long since. In fact he led the mob and a:ted as spokesman. When the crowd reached the "cooler" Green stepped forward alone to demand the prisoner of the jader, and after a conference lasting five minutes he re turned to the mob and said: Gentlemen, I at first believed the prisoner to be guilty.but now I have my doubts about it In fact, I firmly believe in his innocence. "How do you make that out ?" yelled a dozen men. "Why, gentlemen, I at first supposed he was some poor coon without a dollar in his pocket, but I have learned that he had over $200 in cash, and it is ray fur ther duty to inform you that he has re. tained me as counsel. Gentlemen,stand back ! The first red handed villain who raises a hand against my innocent client, will past the next ten years in the State prison. ' Leadoaw The British Ministry has prepare! a bill for reorganizing the Government of the city of London. The Lord Mayor and his (ixirt ot Common Council are retained, the Metropolitan Board of Works is retained, the School Board is retained. The Lord Mayor is changed from lord of the city into king of the town. His jurisdiction is extended. He is made to represent s'l Londoners, and be will be expected to give in the name of London, the same feasts as of old, Each branch of the Government has certain defined dutiws, but the great central Government will be that presided over by the Mayor, A ftliara for Myself. Three months ago, when a new ser vant girl came to a Brush street family, in Detroit, the mistress said she desired to post the girl in advance ou one cer tain little point She aud her husband belonged to an amateur theatrical com pany, and in case Jane heard any racket around the house she must not imagine that they were qnarelmg. They would simply be rehearsing their parts. The "play" began ou the third evening of the girl's engagement The husband taunted his wife with extravagance, and she Buid ho played poker for money, and chairs were upset and footstools kicked around aud threats were made of going home to mother. Next morning the mistress said to the girl: "Did yon hear ns playing our parts in the 'Wronged Wife' last night?" "Yes'm." "It was simply a rehearsal, you kuow, and you niusa't think strange of my throwing a vase at my husband nd call ing him a vile wretch." Three or four nights after that the curtain went up on a play called: "The Jealous Husband, and Jane heard sobs, sighs, protestations, threats and excla -mations. The next play was entitled. Coming Home Tight" and was mostly played in the frout halt Then follow ed the "Depths of Despair," "Threats of Divorce," and "Suoh a wretch," until Jane was at last tired of haviug a private box and being the only audience. The other morning ste appeared in the sit ting room aitli her hat on and her bun dle under her arm and said: "Please, ma'am, but I'm going this morning. What, going away?" "Yes'm." "For what reason?" "Please, ma'am, bnt I'm tired of tragedy. I'm a girl as naturally likes to see hugging aud kissing and love-mak-iug on the stage, and when Marks the lawyer comes in on the what-do-you- call-it I'm sure to lie tickled to death. I think I'll try some family where they rehearse comedy and have a deal of kissing, and perhaps I may come iu as a Bupe and get a suiall share of it for myself!" M.inory ia Chess I'lstlng. Wonderful as are the feats of chess players, who can work out a game or a series of games without seeing the board there is nothing really remarkable in them. When once mastered, the trick is not only fairly easy of performance, but the fact that the prooess is purely mental rather facilitates than impedes the action of the mind To the blindfolded chess-players there is present a mental picture of the board with the pieces iu position. He changes the position of the men as easy as he can think, and after he has onoe mastered the difficulty of fixing the mental picture, it is dis tinctly before him. Some players who do not in their common process of me mory use picture phantoms, work out the moves as algebraical propositions are occasionally Worked, by phantoms of sound, but, aa rule, ches-playua are mental-picture-readers,' and can at pleasure call up any one of several pic tures of boards as they last conceived them. The most difficult feat, and one which very few mental chess-players can accomplish, is to play two or three games simultaneously, the moves mad by their opponents being told them in close sequence, and their moves being directed after all reports of the proceed ings of their opponents have been receiv ed. Thus, if there be several players against one mental player, he must be told, and remember ,what each of his adversaries has done before he begins to give instructions for his several coun ter moves. In this exploit the. most perfect development of the mental fa culty of distinct picturing and displace ment and recall of mental pictures at will is exhibited. The prodigious dif ficulty of the fact can only be realized in the attempt to perform it Even the expert blindfolded chess-player can rarely succeed in accomplishing the performance we have attempted to des cribe. Glmni That lea One day in a "cow case, at Wabash, Indiana, tha Judge was in a hurry to go to the races over on the Fair grounds, and he put on his hat before the law yer for the plaintiff got half through and said: "There, John, you can dry np now ; I have heard enough about the ease, and I'm goiug to decide against you." "But, your Honor," expostulated the lawyer, "you can't decide against me; the law is all on ny side. '-Law! What do I care about law! This ain't no law office, sir, this is a justice office. If yon want lo practice law, go to a law office." "But, Judge, you can't decide this case against us, I say, the law is all "I can't hey?" "No, it's impossible!" "Who says no? gimme that pen. ' A Natal Mall. At the house of Mr. Hawei in London a fortnight ago, was given what was called a "Chancer ball and supper" for children. All the costumes were taken irom the fourteenth century manuscripts The Lost waa a 15-year-old child, repre sented aa a person with bald head, grey hair, and red nose. The other persons included the good "Knight Arcito," in clove ''cote-hardy" and gold belt;' 'fair Emelye," in white and gold and coral -carcanet." and fair hair "brayded be hind her back a yarde long;" "Princess Canace," with magic hooded falcon on her wrist; '"the Prioress," "the Nun, and "Griselda. The aupper waa ser- Ted in true mediteval style, and the "hostel" ras hung with ancient tapes tries and Persian embroideries. Tke Tm. Helpmate. The story of the parting of Lieutenant De Long and his wife is thus told by William Bradlord, the artist "You were Lieut De Long's most efficient adviser were you not?" I asked. "Lieut De Long," he replied, "needed and had no more competent adviser than bis wife. She is a noble.highly intelligent woman and like himself au en.husiast "npon the subject of arctic exploration. She has read and studied everything that exper ience and science have made' known npon that topic, is faniilier with the minutest detail of every endeavor ever made for the penetration of the profound ved of mystery overhanging that field of most during adventure. Could she possible have done so, she would have been most glad to have accompanied him upon his expedition Bharing his hard ships, his perils and his fate. That however, was manifestly impracticable. as she had the good sense to recognize. I think one of the most touching episodes I ever witnessed was the parting between Lient De Long and his wife, and I know that the pang of separation was heightened by her regret that she could not share his trials in the heroic endea vor for the attainmer.t of the purpose in which her heart was as much bound up as his. We went out of the bay of San Francisco with a tug following ns to take back those who were to return, and not a word was spoken of the separation momentarily drawing nearer. Finally, when we had got pretty well out Lieut De Long came to me and said: it is time to go. A small boat was lowered from the side and manned; he and Mrs. De Long got into it I followed them and he gave the order to "pull away' for the tug. During that short trip the si lence was oppresive, painful beyond de scription, the only sound being the thump of the oars in the rowlock and the swash of the water. When we reach ed the side of the tug Lieut De Long pressed his wife's hand and simply said 'good-bye. She stepped upon the tug and turning bent upon her husband a look in which there was expressed the most jxiignant feeling, mingled with a devout silent prayer for his safety and success. For an instant he seemed to hesitate, as if for the moment unnerved by her attitude and look, then, recover ing his self-control, turned to his men and in a full, strong voice commanded 'Pull away men!' Soon their swift plied oars placed him alongside the Jeannetle. We saw him mount the Bide, saw the vefsel bear aay and watched htr in silence until she was a mere speck upon the distant horizon, without a word being spoken. Then finally when the Jeanne tte was fading from sight, Mrs, De Long said to me; 'Please let me go below; I want to be alone for a moment' complied with her request Soon however, almost immediately, indeed. such was her power of self -control and I believe, also her confidence in her husband's ultimate success and happy return to her, that she regained her self-possession and entered into conver sation. It was such a manifestation of bravery on the part of a woman as I never saw before and never expect to j witness again. But she baa never had any doubt ud has none now, of the safety of her husband and his ultimate return to his native laud. She was here only a few days ago, and we have been in almost const aut consultation or com munication during the two years or more in which the fate of ber husband has been shrouded in obscurity. Singular Faenomeaom. Rev. J. Eieffer, of Hagerstown, Md. says that short time ago he was sum moned to the bedside of a dying man named Torrant To his great regret when he reached the house, a mile dis tant from the town in the mountains, he was informed by the attending physician that the man was dead. He went to the room and saw lying on the bed the stark and rigid form of the departed, the lower jaw fallen, the ashy pallor of death on the face, and the body cold. It was about 9 o'clock in the evening when the minister arrived. The family were terribly grief stricken. A son in par ticular waa inconsolable. He called on his father, begged him to come back, aud with difficulty could be kept away from the body. The clergyman remain ed uutil near 2 o'clock in the morning. At this time, when the pastor waa think ing of leaving, the son who seemed to take the death so much to heart, was seized with another paroxysm of grief threw himself on the body of his father, embraced him. called him, bathed the cold face with tears, shrieking that he could not let him go; that he must say one word, look at him just once more; that he must not leave him without just oue more word and one more look. As if the agonized voice had penetrated the silence of the other world, the lips of the father moved, the eyes opened and cast a sad, reproachful look on the weeping son, and in the well-dnown voice came distinctly these words: "Oh, why did you bring me back?" As soon as the awe-etrieken group could regain their presence of mind after this ap palling scene, they immediately ad ministered restoratives to the patient when the minister left him, very weak but still alive. He was sent for by the father the next day, who gave him an account of his death (as he evidently be lieved it had been) and his experience to the time when he was apparently re called to life. He said: When I died I first felt a sinking, go iug sensation. I knew everything going on tle room, but I could not apeak or move my bps. Then ail was blank. The next thing I remember waa being in a dense darkness, seemingly in a tunnel, through which I was being puhed. Ther seemed to be two forms, on each aide, pushing me along through the tunnel, and I appeared to move as if I waa floating, touching nothing above or below. At last it appeared to get lighter as though we were nearing the end of the passage, it grew bright er every moment, and then I seemed to observe two shining, beautiful forms ou each side of me. I had a feeling of perfect peace and well-being, and heard, as though it was a part cf the space I floated in, the most soothing and de lightful music, I have beeu a great sufferer, and the feeling of rest and freedom from pain, was the thing noticed most in my new state. I re mained a short time iu this blessed state, when it seemed to be disturbed by a voice in pain calling on me to come back. If they had known how much better I was they would never have wanted me back in this weak aud suffering body, The man lived several da a and then died, as his family sincerely believe, a second time, and, remembering his solemn words as to hut first experience, did not call him back. Whether the man was in a syncope from which the piercing lamentations of the family aroused him, or whether he had indeed been permitted to return after a glance at the glories of the great unknown, no one can answer. But one thing is cer tain, that for the space of several hours, to all intents and purposes, so far as the doctor, the pastor and the family were concerned, and so far as all outward in dications are concerned, the mau" was dead. Tall Stories. The Western frontier of our country is highly prolific in tall stories. Take the matter of hard blows. A man sit ting in his house, eating a pie, heard a storm coming, aud ran to the door. The gale first blew the house down; and then seized the man, carried him through the air a hundred yards or so, and land ed him in a peach tree. Soon afterward a friendly board from his own house eame floating by. This he seized and placed over his head to protect himself from the raging blast, and finished his pie. Out in Nevada it has been told that during a gale, while boulders as big as pumpkins were flying through the air, and water-pipes were being ripped out of tke ground, an old Chinaman with spectacles on his nose, was obser ved in the eastern part of the town seat ed on a knoll calmly flying his kite an iron shutter, with a long chain for a tail. There was a mau from Boston who would not confess astonishment at any thing he saw in Nevada. As he was passing a hotel in Virginia City the cap blew from one of the chimneys. It was a circular piece of sheet iron, p ainted black, slightly oonvex and the four snp porta were like logs. The wind carried it down the street and it went strad ling along like a living thing. The Boston man asked what it was. "A bod bug from the hotel," was the reply. "By George I never saw anything like that he began and then added "out side ot Boston." A party of miners in the Black Hills compared eyes and ears over a camp fire One said: "When I was coming to the hills I looked for Indians until I could see a mosquito a mile away." Another sid that his eyes were weak bnt that he could hear gnats jumping on the rocks four miles. The next man ht d listened for Indians until! he had heard the mountain sheep hpht ou their horns in the Big Mountain, three hundred miles away. The fourth with his head on his pillow, had strained his ears until he heard the Chinese nailing up tea boxes. The fifth in crossing the Koeky Moun tains, had found a petrified forest, the trees turned into solid stone. As he loitered on the edge, a deer started across the valley and was transformed in a moment into solid stone. As bird flew past him, and perching upon a tree began to sing. Suddeily the bird was changed to stone. The song she was singing was also petrified, hanging down from the peak of the bird. A Yankee who had settled in the West having told an Englishman that he had shot on one particular occasion nine hundred and ninety-nine pigeons, his interlocutor asked why he did not make it a thousand at onse. "No," said he, not likely I'm going to tell lie for one pigeon." Wherupon the Englishman determined not to be outdone, began to tell a long story of a man having swam from Liverpool to Boston. "Did you see him?" asked the Yankee. "Of course I did; I was coming across and our vessel passed him a mile out of Boston harbor." "Well I'm glad ye saw him stranger, 'cos yer a witness that 1 did it. That was me!" A Carioas Appearance f Ilk Moos. A singular appearance ot the moon was observed by several residents ot Lebanon, Conn., on the evening of July 3. The moon, almost full, was about three-quarters of an hour high. An observer says : "Two pyramidal lumin ous protuberances appeared on the moon's upper limb. They were not large, but gave the moon a look strik ingly like that of a horned owl or the bead of an English bull terrier. These points were a little darker than the rest of the moon's face. jThey slowly faded away a few moments after their appear' ance, the one on the right aud south easterly quarter disappearing first About three minutes after their disap pearance two black triangular notches were seen on the edge of the lower half of the moon. These points gradually moved toward each other along the moon's edge, and seemed to be cutting off or obliterating nearly a quarter of its savface, until they finally met, when the moon's face instantly assumed its normal appearance. Wheu the notches were nearing each other the part of the moon seen between them waa in the form of a dove's tail." Jail Hreakl.g. Johnny San some, lecently escaped from the jail at Stockton, California, He is known am.n? the officials as a "bad burglar and safe robber," and among; his associate convicts as a "splendid' fellow. During bis imprisonment he was looked upon as a leader to "put up jobs" of all kinds, particularly escapes. His pals would never squeal on him whan he was carrying out his well-laid plan?. Nine months ago, while confin ed in a cell at Folsom, he planned his last escape. His cell door is made of granite blocks held together with eeuent. By removing the cement be tween two blocks and prospecting with a wiro, he discovered a hollow below him, aud he decided to ascertain its ex tent From the workshop he smuggled a cold chisel and a piece of hard wood, which he secreted in his cell. The granite block he decided to out in two. and he did it by striking- his chisel every time a door opened or shimmed It was a difficult job, and required a great deal of time, which was taken only at night, as he worked outside during the day. The block was nine inches in thiokness, and wheu he succeeded in removing half of it he propped th other half up with a stick of timber, and oovered the whole with apiece of wood out to fit exactly. He plastered the wood over with cement which he white washed, making it look like the granite floor. When he made an examination of the hodow space below he found that by cutting through stone and cement three and a half feet thick, he could reach an abandoned sewer, which had been constructed and abandoned before the completion of the building. In order to avoid detection by the guarils as they made their regular rounds he hung some of his clothes upon the wall, and the rest he made into a dum my, which he tucked nioely under the blankets. Naked, he worked night after night, until he had entered the opening of the stone sewer. The holes he cut were so small that he bad to grease them so as to allow his body to tlip through. After passing through the sewer some 5'2 feet he met with an ob struction in the shape of stone and cement ten feet in thickness, whioh had been filled in when the sewer was aban doned. Th a he removed, slowly, piece by piece, carrying it back like a squirrel into the hollow space underneath his ceil. He met with another obstruction when this waa removed. It was a gran ite block two aud a half feet thick. Wheu he made his way through this he ran a tunnel into the ground eight feet long, wide enough to admit bis body, and thau started au incline upward, which, after running four feet, brought him into an unused closed, in a small room witli au asphaltum floor, and with a window barred with chilled iron bars. Sansome had provided himself with steel saws made out of case knives to cut the bars. The oiJy opportunities he had afforded him te complete this work were given when the guards were chang ing shifts or when they were in some remote portion of the institution. It was during the time of the change of shifts that he escaped and gained his liberty. When once on the outside he procured clotbine from some tramjs, and he then made Lis way through to Marvsville. Often while he waa work iug in the sewer the air was so foul that he had to withdraw to save himself from suffocation. In the nine months re quired to complete the job Sansome lost twenty-five pounds of flesh. When Sheriff Cunningham covered him with his revolver at Marvsville he found a small unloaded pistol on him, and when Sansome was asked what he intended doing with it he said that he had bought it from a tramp to kill rats with. The felon had three years and eight months to serve, counting his five years' credits. His sentence was fifteen years for safe cracking. Ra.Slac In Swttxrrlaaa. The authorities of the Swiss canton of Appenzell recently asked the chief justices for a written opinion as to the advisability of restoring capital punish ment The chief justices in reply, de clared against its reintrodnction, their argument covering the following points: The punishment of death does not meet the conditions properly demanded iu a punitive instrument If one mur derer deserves death another deserves something more, which cannot begiven. A death punishment necessarily exclades all possibility of an improvement in the criminal and is not more deterring than other punishments, and crime has not decreased where it has been introduced. The unjust ad ministration of the death penalty is ir remediable; the possibility of judicial murder has great weight in the discus sion, me criminal statistics ot tne canton of Appenzell are cited. There have been eighteen executions in the canton during the present century seventeen by the sword and oue by hanging, ae follows: 1805, i for theft; 1806, 1 for theft; 180$. 1 for arson; 1810, 2 for theft; 1812, 1 for murder; 1817. two for theft one for poisoning; 1818, one for theft; 1831, one for arson; 1846, one for arson; 1851, one for arson and 1862, one for murder. From this year, when the punishment of death was abolished, no crime ruled worthy of death by the criminal code of Appenzell has Deen committed in the canton. In the voting for or against the abolition of death punishments in the canton, the people of Appenzell gave their deliber ate judgement on behalf of its abolition. The tasks of the State in its puni bve system sre the reduction of crime aud restraint of the criminals from doing further injury. To kill them is a bar- barons method of securing tha latter end The standing army of little Belgium : i - t . i . . v. is i w w k as large1 as uiv uie uiuini States. NEWS IN BRIEF A palm ia three iuohea. A league ia three miles. There are 2,760 languages. A great cubic is eleven feet At Key West one pile of sponges sold for $17,000 There are eighteen known species of the bat in England. Hydrophobia is said to be least knows in the warmest climates. The Prussian goverment draws a revenue of $12,000 from amber. Mr. Caird says that the average English farm consists of 168 acres. The butcher bird is said to impale its victims ou thorns and devour thesa at leisure. A new law in Kansas forbids any person to marry within six months after procuring a divorce. I he average French fanuly is three, the average English five, and the average Irish seven. At Point Pleasant, on the Missis sippi, the river has advanced nearly three miles in sixty years. Horse-car lines are projected le- tween mauy villages in Italy on the roads built by the old Romans. St Louis mills produced 1.717.62 liarrels of flour last year, against 2.077.- 625 in 1880 and 2.112,919 iu 1379. Judge Drummond, of the United State Circut Count at Chicago, denies that lie intends to resign at present The 3cotch memorial to Dean Stan ley is to take the form of a stained glass window in St Giles Cathedral, Edio burgh. Mr. Patrick S. Gil more, the musi cian and orchestra conductor, is now recovering from his recent serious ill ness. Voltaire was the first writer in France to recommend the adoption of inoculation for small pox to the people of his country. Nineteen thousand dollars was the sum brought by Montpelier. the home and buiial-place of President Madison, at its receut sale. Of the heat emitted by the sun. only the 227 millionth part is caught by the planets, and this is nearly all yield ed agaiu to space. A rage for comfits existed in the reign of Henry III. When the body of the Due de Geuso was found he had a box of comfits in his hand. A London medical journal states that there are in that city twenty physi cians whose incomes range from $25,- 000 to 100,000 a year. In 1751 the dress of a French dandy consisted of a black velvet coat green and silver waistcoat, yellow velvet breeches and blue stockings. The new catalogue of Otierlin Col lege, Ohio, shows that 1,325 students are in attendance this year, of whom 611 are gentlemen and 681 ladies. The emigration from Germany in 1882 promises to exceed that of any pre vious year. 14,000 tickets have already been engaged from Bremen to America The Dutches of Ediuburgh deposit ed with the Art Department of South Kensington a collection of water-color copies from the old masters by Stohl. They will lie exhibited at 'Bethnal Green. There are sixty-five ot them. and were originally ordered by the Em press of Kussia. Thirty -four species of insects new to science have recently been discovered in the Sandwich Island. Last year there were 250 persons killed and 328 injured through boiler explosions in this country. At Baden, near Zurich, the first calendar was published 1668, and it has been continued until now. As late as the time of James I., the ilisposal of. the hand of a young orphan heiress lay with the king. It is a singular fact that one of the earliest English theatres had a monk, Geofrey, for its manager. Last words of Fontelleno. "I do not suffer, my friends, but I feel a oer tain difficulty in existence." Two thousand one hundred and twen ty churches in England have been named iu sole honor of the Virgin Mary, and 102 in which her uame is associated with that of some other saints. The Princess of Wales h as sent to King Kalakana several photographs of herself and her sons as a contribution to a bazaar to be held in Honolala in aid of the building ot the cathedral there. Fifty-eight thousand and ninety- seven pupils are enrol led in the Public Schools of Chicago, the average attend ance being 48,589. The city employs 972 teaches. Representatives of four generations live in one house in Toronto, a great- grandmother aged 84. a grandfather aged 60, a father aged zz, and a daugh ter aged 3 weeks. France and Italy have hitherto pi - iluced sugar only from the beet root. The sugar cane has lately been intro duced in both countries, and its rapid growth threatens the beet root indus try. w. v. story is hard at work upon his statue of the late Prefessor Henry, and experts to have it ready lor erection in Washington next spring. It is to be placed iu the grounds of the Smithson ian Institution. It is calculated the daily papers ,. the United States issue 1,051,200,000 copies yearly, and the other periodicals bring the total up to z.uuu.uuu.uuu copies per annum. At an important sale of celebrated stud flock of merino sheep in Victoria, Australia, a ram four years old brought the large sum of $7000, while several others were sold for trices ranging from J900 to $2250. Letter envelopes bearing a stamp impression were first uted in Sardina in 1819. The English people write more letters than any other European naticn. although they do not lead them in tht, use of postal cards. Queen Victoria, combining mother ly affection aud musical taste has com missioned that crusty composer, M. Gounod, to write a nuptiad march for or chestra and organ for the marriage of her youngest and favorite son, Leopold, Duke of Albany, The war footing of the German army has been established by the bud get of 1882 at 500,000 men. In the event of war, the number could be doubled at twenty-four hours' notice by telegraph. The lighthouse at Planier, in France, ia illuminated by the electrin light It can be seen at a distanoe- of twenty-two miles, and it lights up an area of many miles. It cost $60,COOL
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers