B. P. SCHWEIER,
TEE GOESTrrUTIOI THE TTHOlf AID TEE EEFOBOEKEST OF TEE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XXXVII.
MIFFLINTOWN. JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. MAKCII 7. 1SS3.
NO. 10.
THOUGHT. " '
ThougM is deeper than all speech,
. Feeling l deeper I ban all tiiought,
eol:s to wnln can never teaca -"
What nnto themselves was taught.
We are spirits clad In veils;
Man bj man was never seen ;
All oar deep communing fails
To remove tlie shadow r screen;
Bean to heart was never known ;
Mind to mind did never meet,
We are co'.amns left alone
of a temple once complete.
Like the stars that gem the sly.
Far apart though seeming; near.
In our light we scattered lie;
All Is thus bat star-uglit here.
What is social company
But a babbling summer stream?
What our wise philosophy.
But the glancing ul a dxeam i ,
Only when the son of love
" Melts the scattered sure of thought.
Only when we live above
What tht dim-eyed world has taught ;
Only when our souls are fed
By the fount which gave them birth,
And by inspiration led
Which they never drew from earth.
We, like paried drops of rain,
Swelling till they meet and run,
Shall be all absorbed again,
Melted, flowing into one.
THE INCLES WILL.
My diamonds, Mary," said Mrs. Del-
mont; "and iny six-button gloves. And
I'm almost certain that the point ol
that Cashmere shawl is trailing cn the
carpet.
Mrs. Delmont stood in front of the
fur-length mirror, whose golden stand
ards were veiled in draperies of em
broidered lace a little withered sharp
nosed woman, with a complexion all
composed of paint and powder, hair
artfully touched np by the patent
"Golden Dye," and teeth so obtrusively
false that no one weald ever dream of
calling tLem a deception.
Bat her violent velvet dress had cost
eight dollars a yard; her bracelets were
of dead gold studded with diamonds,
and she sparkled ail over with precious
stones, like a jeweeler's thow-case.
The londoir was hung with pe'e-olue
satin, the carpet was of the softest
Aubusson, the chairs and tables of en
ameled white, garlanded about by tiny
golden vines, and a Skye terrier lay
coiled np on a blue Angora rug in front
of the fire, with a silver collar around
his worthless little neck.
"Yes, ma'am," said Mary, with a
conga.
"The shawl is quite right now, ma'am.
But if you please, ma'am, Mrs. Masters
is waiting to see you."
"Mis. Masters!" cried the widow, in
a vexed tone.
But before she could say more, the
door opened, and a pale-faced woman,
dressed in garments so shabby as to be
barely respectable, came in.
I won't keep you a minute, cousin
Caroline," said she apologetically.
"The horses are waiting," said Mrs.
Delmont ungraciously, "and it always
does make them vicious to stand too
leng in this frosty air."
"I have been facing it," said Mrs.
Masters bitterly; and my cloak is not
so warm as the embroided blankets of
your pampered horses, Caroline."
"Well," said Mrs. Delmont impa
tiently, "now you are here, you may as
well sit dow. What is it that yoa want
now?" -
I am sorry to be always begging,
cousin Caroline," said Mrs. Masters,
"but things have gone wrong of late
Some of my best boarders have changed
their quarters for a more fashionable
location others have gone away with
out paying me and I have been obliged
to call in an expensive doctor for Den
nie "
"Just what you wight have eapected
when yoa adopted that child," said
Mrs. Delmont. "Why couldn't you let
him go to the asylum, as other chil
dren do?"
He was our cousin's child, said
Mrs. Masters sadly.
"What difference does that make?
said Mrs. Delmont, with a shrug of the
Cashmere draped shonlders.
"And," added Mrs. Masters, without
debating the point, "1 hoped perhaps
you would let me have a little money,
just until the next months board-bills
come due."
"I can't then,' said Mrs. Delmont
pettishly.
"It's money, money, money with you
the whole time. I do believe you think
I've a bank, or a gold-mine, or some
such inexhaustible snpply. And I may
as well stop it now as any time. So I
beg, Clara, that you won't trouble your
self to come here any more on your beg
ging expeditions. Mary the car
riage," .
So Mrs. Delmont swept downstairs,
iashing and sparkling as she went, and
the meek little boarding-house keeper
took herself off. shedding a few furtive
tears behind her shabby crape wu.
"Carolina never had much heart,
mused she. "And what she had seems
to be turning the stone."
Mrs. Masters was one of the unlucky
kind. . . .
When she was a young girl of eigh
teen, she had kit boarding-school to
come home and nurse old uncle Josepn
through his fatal illness, while Carohne,
her cousin, "didn't see that she could
do any good," and serenely remained
at Cape May. , , h.
And when the old an dieihis
will, leaving .11 he had to Carohnes
deceased father, was opened, Clara
maJe ihe best of things.
"I did suppose h. would
little," said she, choking down a joo.
"But then people ought not to be set
fish. The will was made ten year go,
laf,.A nnla TV-ITl tiled.
"If uncle Joseph bad thong" J
make a new one, I do believe
have remembered me, . .
And of course Online will amde,
seeing that we are equally related to
uncle Joseph, and I was with him when
he died.
But Caroline did nothing'of the sort
"Whats mine is mine" said she:
"and-I certainly shall not give away a
solitary cent of it.
So the
cousins went their different
ways.
Mrs. DelmoLt married a handsome
Southern lawyer who had leit her a
widow at forty.
Clara- wedded a penniless clergyman
who had died as poor as he lived, and
she kept soul and body together by
means of a third-rate boarding-house.
further incurring Caroline's displeasure
uy adopting a poor little lame orphan
wno Had no other prospects than the
poor-house.
I ve been unlucky all my life,"
sighed Mrs. Masters, as she hurried
home through the biting winter blist.
"and luck don't seem likely to change
now.
"I must just let Thompson, the
second-hand man, have the big walnnt
secretaire that uncle Joseph gave me
and the rosewood bookstand 1 took for
Miss Mowbray's board. They're the
only articles I've got left of any value."
Thompson, the second band man, sat
in his store with a faded oil portrait
hanging above him, and a pair of blue
velvet window curtains draped at the
left, three bird cages on the table, and
a cooking-stove at his rear, while he
was engaged in conn ting out the pieces
of a set of antique china.
"Humble servant, ma'am," said
Thompson, who had always recognized
Mrs. Masters as a lady through all her
adversities.
"Thompson," said Mrs. Masters
sadly.
"I've ma le up my mind to part with
my waluct secretaire and rosewood
bookstand."
"All right, ma'am," said Thompson,
eyeing the spout of the cream-pitcher
hard, to make sure that it was not
cracked.
"You may send np for them to-night'
"Very well, ma'am," said Thomp
son.
Mrs. Masters shed a few tears as the
big secretaire and the little bookstand.
the last relics of her gentility, were
taken away in Thompson's wagon.
'Goodness knows what I am to do
next," said sbe. "But there! We're all
in Heaven's hands."
Thompson the furniture man made
his appearance the next day, with a
curious bewilderment in his face."
"Well, I am beat!" said Thompson.
"Wonders neer will cease, as my
poor old mother used to say."
"What do you mean?" said Mrs.
Masters in surprise.
"It's that there secretary o yonr"n,"
said Thompson. "It was kind o' bruised
and scratchy, so I just took it all to
pieces to oil and polish it up. And clear
at the back, I found two or three old
papers that mast have slid down oat of
the back of the drawer and got wedged
above the wooden rlsats that support
ed the lower drawers."
"Papers?" said Mrs. Masters, "Dear
me, Thompson, what sort of papers?"
"There's an old note of hand, as
must be outlawed long ago, said
Thompson "And a catalogue of Bail-
way Bonds, and a will.
"A what! gasped the widow,
"A last will and testument Dated
six weeks uciore your nucie josepn
died- And don't torn pale, Mrs. Mas
ters," said Thompson; "it leaves yoa
all the property he had in the world.
It states"
But here poor Mrs. Master fainted
away.
"Well the rest can be easily imag
ined.
The will was put into court, and tri
umph antly proved.
Mrs. Delmont found herself dispos
sessed and Clara Masters became the
heiress.
"Bat, dear me, I wouldn't liarm a
hair of Caroline's head," said good Mrs.
Masters.
"Ain't there enough for both of us?
And really, I am more glad on Dennie's
account than my own.
For Mrs Masters was the same sweet-
natured woman through storm and sun
shine alike.
"Ought to ha been a duchess," said
Thompson the second-hand man.
"And I always said so,
"And to the day of my death, I shall
be proud to think it was my chisel and
screwdriver as pried out her inheri
tance." The Daesjer Attondlnc Arsenic
It is necessary to raise a warning cry
against a most mischievous statement
which has recently been circulated and
has already done harm, to the effect
that "arsenic in small doses is good for
the complexion." It is not difficult to
in-atrine the risks women will incur to
woe- ti,;- .i l.,l-o
preserve or iuj"'" .
So more ingenious device for recom
mending a drug can be hit upon than
that which the authors of this baneful
prescription of "arsenio for the com
plexion' have adopted. Suffice it to
ieeall the fact that for many years past
chemists and sanitarians have been
laboring to discover means of eliminat
the arsenical salts from the coloring
matter of wall papers, and certain dyes
noe largely used for certain articles of
clothing? It is wost unfortunate thai
this hopelessly antagonistic recom
mendation of arsenio to improve the
Complexion should have found its way
Sto print Those who employ, the
advised and there are many
SZr using it or are contemplating the
AcTwill do so at their peril. So
as they are able, however, it will
blf the duty of medical men to warn the
MbUe against this pernicious practice,
P iaonly wo likely to be earned on
!oeak thus pointedly, and urge prac
Jffito be on the qui .fee in maon
njous or obsonre cases..
What T
When Deacon S towers came down to
visit his son lien, who lives in Chicago, he
had a great antipathy to games of any
kind a played among young men. lie
was a piiiar in a church that considered
cards as an especial Invention of the devil
to lure men into his power. lie had seen
Iheui played, but he didn't know one froin
the other. Billiards he had heard of, but
he had never seen a billiard table, and be
didn t want to. lie considered billiards as
harmful to the aristocratic part of the
community, who could afford to play the
game, as cards were to the common classes.
Both were bad bad ! and be and his
brothers in the church had often groaned
together over the tendency of the rising
generation to aniusenicuts of this kind,
liis son was a well to do merchant and
his home was a pleasant one, far finer than
anything plain old Deacon S towers was
used to seeing, aud he asked Ben to show
hini over tne house.
. Tbey came to one room which Ben
tried to get the old gentleman past. Bat
he was bound to see everything, and he
opened the door and looked in. In the
center of the room stood a nearly square
table of peculiar appearance, covered witb
green cloth, and with a raised edge ail
around it
"What is that n asked the old gentle
man. ''That's a table the boys play a game
on," answered lien. "Come on and I'll
show you the stable, now."
But the old gentleman s curiosity was
excited, tie looked the table over, and it
had such an honest, equare appearance,
that he couldn't see much chance for any
thing bad in its use.- At least that u the
way it struck him.
"How do they use it I" he asked.
Ben saw that bis father had become in
terested, so be explained the game and
produced the balls and cues for the old
gentleman's inspection. J
' It must be quite a nice game," said the
deacon. "1'hey they don't gamble with
it do they I"
"The boys never plav for anytning but
amueraent answered Ben, evasively.
That s right said the utacon, taking
up one of the cues and giving a ball a tap.
That would have been a good shot if
you had been playing the game, said
lien. "It would have counted you two."
"Is that so?" The deacon was qui.
elated at his success. 1 don't believe in
games, much, tho' I allers liked to play
checkers, but I b'heve I'd like this, Let's
try a same an' see bow it goes."
"ill right," said Ben, chuckling to him
self for he knew well what a prejudice his
father bad to billiards.
So they played. The deaon had in bin:
the elements of a good billiard nlayer.
lie made Sjnie very good shots, and came
near beating Ben. lie enjoyed the first
game so much, that he wanted to play
another, and coming out but one or two
benind on that, he challenged lien to p.ay
a third, and won.
"I like the game," he declared, emphat
ically. "It amounts to suth'n'. What's
the name of it Ben t"
"Billiards," answered Ben, with a sly
twinkle in bis eye.
"W hst r
The deacon looked at Ben as if thunder
struck. x ou don't mean to say I've been
playin billiards do you I"
Yes," answered Ben ; 'and you played
well for a Beginner. If you keep on
practicing, you'll make a tip-top nlayer."
"liood Lord ! groaned the deacon,
turning pale. "I wonder what they'd say
up to Greenville if they knew I I wouldn't
have it git out that 1 d been a playin bil
liards, for a farm. Don't you say nothui'.
Ben. lit it should leak out I'd be turned
out o the church.
"I don't see as soy hsrm has been done.
said Ben. "You see now, don't you, that
billiards can be played with the best of
motives ?"
"Yes, but that excuse wouldn't go down
with 'em, ef they should find it out" aid
the deacon. "You won't say nothin,
Ban?" x
Ben promised to keep mum. Nobody
in Greenville knows how the deacon fell
from grace on bis visit to the city. YV ben-
ever his brothers in the church inveigh
against the sin of billiard playing, be says
nothing, and feels guilty of deceit in not
confessing the truth. But to himself he
admits that be did really enjjy the game.
1 know the good deacon would like to
have the church make it obligatory on its
members to learn the game of billiard i, but
be wouldn t dare to say so.
Tbe stew liojr.
lie was a brand-new office boy, youm;.
pretty-faced, with golden ringlets and bine
eyes. Just such a boy as one would im
agine would be taken out cf bis little
trundle-bed in tbe middle of the fiight and
transported beyond the stars. Tbe first
day he glanced over the library in the edi
torial room, became acquainted with
everybody, knew all tlie printers, and went
home in the evening as happy and cheery
as a sunbeam. The next day he appeared,
leaned out of the back window, expector
ated on a bald-headed printer's pate, tied
the cat up by the tail in the hallway, had
four Ogbts witb another boy, borrowed $2
from an occupant of the building, saying
liis mother was dead, collected his two
days' pay from the cashier, hit the janitor
with a broomstick, pawned a coat belong
ing to a member of tbe editorial staff,
wrenched the knobs off the doors, upset
the ice-cooler, pied three galleys of type ;
and mashed his fingers in the small press.
On the third day, a note was received say
ing ; "Mi Mother do not want I to work
in such a dull place. Sbe says I Would
make a Good preacher, to Da L mi finger
is Uetter ; gone fishin . l ours Till Dctli
do Yank us."
Strange Glories.
A writer from Virginia City, XevaJa
says, one afternoon recently tbe heavens
became obscured bv a peculiar vapor.
which seemed neither fog nor smoke nor
yet clouds. Though the sun could be
plainly seen, it presented precisely the
same appearance as when viewed through
smoked glass. To the southward this va
por appeared of an orange hue, while to
the west it was blue. Some ot our people
looking in that direction, called out : "Old
Mount Davidson has got the bluet 1" and
really everything in that direction bad the
blues. About tour o clock the whole mass
of vapor moved east and settled down over
the valley an we the Carson river. There
It presented a white appearance, hiding all
the valley land and low lulls, but allowing
the peaks of tbe Uomo range of mountains
to be seen. While this was zoinz on there
was visible on the eastern horizon a broad
band of deep blue with above' a corres
ponding band of a deep rose red.
The three leading winners on the
English turf last year were Mr. Craw-
furd, Mr. ljefevre and the Duke of
Westminster, with respectively $129,-
uuu, B,ouu and By, IA)U gross gains in
stakes. The Duke of Hamilton won
$49,C0O, Loid Boseberry $16,000,
Prince Soltykoff $13,500. Mr. Keene
$7500 and Mr. Lonllard $5000.
. Three Phases of Life.
A reporter slipped the other day be
tween the lines of trucks which obstruct
the current of traffic at the junction
Broadway and Sttte street, Albany, Slew
York. Ahead of him was two gentlemen.
One said to the other :
"I don't see bow these fellows (meaning
the carmen) exist, their wairons stand
here day in and day out and tbey never
seem to be doing anything but fooling with
each other."
The reporter approached one of the car
men. This particular common carrier had
a round rosy face. He looked valuable.
"How is business?" asked the reporter!
"Pretty good. W ill you have a cart
".No, not to day. But how do you folks
ever get enough to feed your horses a nd
yourself I"
"We have a way,'' and after consider
able questioning, the carman gave the con
dit'on of the trade about as follows :
"You see there is not more'n a dozen
carts here now. Well, all told,' there is
40 of us and we are kept busy, so that
there is not more tben bait of us here at
the tame time. Some days is better than
others ; but it is a poor un which don'
bring in 12 slnllin'. Some weeks we have
enough to do for customers to keep us
busy all the time ; and on those times we
don t have to stand here a'tall. louv i
noticed, ain't you, that no matter how few
mere is Here, that most oi 'em are near
the cross walk ? Well, that's considered
tbe best stand. You see, a strancer com
in' along strikes the first one he comes to.'
"How much do you realize in a dav on
an averager
"Oh, from f 1 to tf 6'or $7. Have a
cart, lady " said the eartraan to a pros
pective customer, who answering in tbe
htmrmative left the rep jrter without a story.
"What are the prospects for the coming
season t" asked a reporter of a canal boat
captain whom be met in the street.
"It is a little too early yet to speculate.
1 have no rea son but to believe that we
will have a good season next summer-"
"Do you think that the retroving of
tolls on freight will make much, if any
dillerence V
t ".No; when the tolls were high we made
more money than when the authorities
lowered them. Just so sure as our expen
ses are lighter, the freight rates are cut.
The railroads shave their rates down, and
the shippers have to have their commis
sions, so that deducting the price for se
curing the boat load, and tak.ng the ex
ceedingly low rate ot freight, leaves but
little manna. Ho: with tolls off, the
shippers and forwarders will think we
ought to carry everything cheaper,"
"Why don't you try some other busi
ness I"
"Became I love my boat During the
winter I ieel as uneasy as a fish out of wa
ter. and from the opening of the canals
until the cl-ise. 1 am as happy as a clam.
Last fall I sold mv horses, and now I am
in search of a good team."
"Is there nm:h fascination about the
life of a canalerf''
"Well, yes. At first when the propo
sition to be a cauatet was made to me, I
spurned it 1 got hard up and thought I
would make a little money. Before I got
over the route train Buffalo to Hew Y ork
once, tbe eld dread of the life had left me.
and I was so fascinated with it that I
tboupht I could never tire. Since that
time 1 have never once regretted going on
a canal boat I worked bard, and alter
awhile bought a boat of my own, and to
day tbe old craft is as dear to me as one of
my family."
"Conductor, can't you eel me a seat I
Slid an irascible passenger of the female
persuasion on a car. There was not a va
cancy. "Some people are hogs."
1 his was the comment of the passenger
on her feet
"So they are," the condunter rejoined
totlo moce, "and no one more than your
self 'The reporter was led to inquire by catch
ing the strange remark.
"les," said the conductor, "I sees
good deal ( f the selfishness of this world.
Some people wiil net in, and because they
pay tbtir fare think that 1 can find a seat
lor them. Women are the worst and
many a blowing up I get because I cannot
do an impossibility. X do not except men
either, because some of them are even
worse than tbe women. If one of the
latter enters with a basket she will set the
basket on her lap so that it will take up
twice as much room as she is entitled to,
and it is at the cost of considerable abuse
that I can pruvad upon her to put her bas
ket on the Moor. Then again if a woman
comes in with a child, she will place tbe
youngster along side of her, snd no matter
if the car is full, that child must have a
seat to tbe exclusion of older patrons.
Sometimes the child is removed to th par
ents lap if an old man is seen standing, but
never if it happens to be a woman. W hen
one women in asked to make room for
another, she madly moves along, or throws
the child on her lap, and takes up as much
room as possible. Some of the male riders.
occupy seats, and never see a woman when
sue enters. They look right past her, and
sometimes when within about a block of
where they want to get off, see the lady,
get up and offer her their seats. I have
noticed that some women when they board
a car think that some one ought to get up
ardgivetbemaseat If no one stirs thetnew
arrival glances around with an impadent
look. Then attain I have seen a workman
with his dinner pail boatd a car and get
a seat lie gave it up soon after to a
fashionable dressed woman, who claims it
as a matter of right never even thanking
aim. tfut most alvrays a lady upon ac
cepting a seat will either say 'thank you'
or incline her head forward.
Tae Oaala of Oaarna,
In the event of the construction of a
railway across the Sahara by the
French, the Oasis of Onargia will become
an important point This oasis is sit
uated in a large valley, which, accord
ing to tradition, was formerly a vast
garden, and which even now contains
eSour hundred and fifty thousand palm
trees. The geological formation around
is the quaternary, while the depression
itself is alluvial quartz sand, containing
more or less gyium and common salt.
These salts are favorable to the growth
of the palm, but they are in excess in
the "oebkhaa ' (wetter por.ionse and
"schotts," or brackish lakes. The oasis
owes its fertility entirely to the presence
of a stratum of artesian water at an
average depth of thirty-five metres.
The shells found in a more or less fos
silized condition in this rerion are
those which now live in fresh or brack
ish water, with the exception of the
cockle, which is, however, abundant
near mou ths of rivers. M. Holland
conclndes that the quaternary deposits
t f the Sahara are those of a vast brack
ivh sea or lake having no communica
tion with the Mediterranean.
A New Antiseptic.
new iork and Boston are greatly ex
cite i over the discovery of a new anliaeD
tic solution which, it is claimed. t des
tined to revolutionize all existing methods
for tbe transportation of perisbable goods
by rail and sea. It seems that several
years ago one Professor K. K. Humiston,
in a remote western village, was appealed
to as a practical chemist to embalm a hu
man body for long transportati'jn. Tbe
need came upon him unexpectedly, and
bis facilities were meagre, but his attempt
was wondei fully successful. Reflection
convinced him that the process which thus
so remarkably preserved a human corpse
could be made to serve living humanity
by tbe protracted, economical, and health
tut preservation ot fiesh food.
The study and experiments which led
up to present results have covered three
years, and have gone along under the cog
nisance ana encouragement of prominent
1l astern gentlemen, among whom are J
WUIard Rice, of Bos; on, brother of Ex
Governor Kice of Massachusets, and head
or the well-known paper bouse of Bice.
Kendall & Co.; and Edward Burnett also
of Boston, son of Dr. Joseph Burnett
relative of our Minister to England. Mr.
Lowell, and owner of the celebrated Deer-
foot farm near Boston. All the while
confident assertion and general publicity
have been made to wait upon actual ac
complishment, and 1 am but now able to
give to the public, for the first time,
through the Daily 2ews. an outline of
what these discoveries have really done.
as well as of a crucial test begun the other
day under my own eye by Samuel W.
Johnson, professor of agricultural chemis
try in l ale college.
i'rotessor uumiston, seme time since.
claimed that his antiseptic preparations
would preserve meats, fish, fowl, oysters.
milk, cream, etc., in perfect and even im
proved condition, for from three weeks to
three months, and disinterested gentlemen
in Boston, Baltimore, and other cities were
asked to witness experiments and assume
charge and control of articles of food
treated by tbe new process. Mr. Burnett
ot uoslon, at his farm, became the custo
dian oi tne loom there operated upon.
which were sausages, milk, cream, etc.
merchantable products of the farm, and
which have given it great fame. Mr. Bur
nett has signed a statement affirming tbe
absolute perfection of the antiseptic s
work, lie says that be never before could
ship sausages during hot weather or the
summer months, without a large percent
age cf loss, and never sent seaside custo
mers cream and milk before, but that last
sumnivr he freely shipped sausages, cream,
n.112, etc., treated by the Uumiston pr
cess, without loss, and that be now em
ploys the antiseptic in all his products.
ships freely without refrigeration or other
agencies, and not only escapes all loss, but
saves heavy expense and gives his custo
mers a degree of sa-isf action tbey never
expressed before.
Tlie amlseptic, a pungent, sodaish-look-
ing powder, had been dissolved in water
the previous evening by Prota. Johnson
and Uumiston perhaps a common wa.h
tub full, in stone jars of various sizes at
wh'.eh time i rjt. Uumiston drank six
ounces of the mixture as an evidence of
its barinleisness. The meats and fowl,
punctured in their thicker parts, were
simply immersed In tbe liquid; and re
mained therein from two to twenty hours.
A small aiantuy of it was poured into
and mingled with the cream. The oyst
ers, after pouring off their liquor, were
immersed in a somewhat different solution
of tbe antiseptic adapted to this specially
difficult task. One piece ot steak was
simply wrapped in a towel wet witb the
general solution, and laid in the inverted
lid of a jar. The whole process was so
simple that a child of a dozen years could
perform it with the briefest verbal instruc
tion. At suitable times the immersed ar
ticles were removed from the solution and
simply hung up on hooks and nails in the
open air of the laboratory, where they are
to remain at least three weeks.
There is to be no access to the labora
tory during this lime, except by Professor
Johnson or in his presence. The tempera
ture therein is to be kept as uniform as
practicable, at between 70 deg. and eO
deg. i'ahrenneit observation and record
of which is to be made by the professor
twice daily. Prof. Uumiston has gone
his way and will not probably see the la
boratory or its contents again till the test
shall be completed at all events he is not
to touch tbe articles again till then. At
the end of three weeks the five eentlcmen
will again meet in the laboratory. Prof.
Johnson in their presence will take down
and inspect the articles and certify to their
exact condition, after which, it they are
in the condition expected, they wiil be
cooked by a New Haven caterer and
served tit a dinner to the scientific gentle
men and their co -observers. If tht; anti
septic fails the professor in charge of the
articles will dispose of them very sum
marily.
New Tor Ulls and Dinners.
It was once laid down by a high prie3tcss
in the aits of society that no good-natured
woman could give a really good ball in
any srrcat city, and there is a considerable
amount of truth in this. A good-natured
woman cannot turn a deaf ear to the
claims of old friends. Consequently, she
asks persons who contribute nothing to
the beauty of her rooms or to the social
attractiveness of the entertainment Again,
she is at tbe mercy of those their name
is legion who ask for Invitations for
friends and are ever on the lookout to
make capital for themselves in the future
at other people's expense, whereas it is
perfec'ly useless to attempt to impose ou
Mrs. Highty Tighty in this fashion. Im
portune her aud she will be "positively
rude." "As if," she will say, "1 am go
ing to have those dreadful Bunglers. Why
those girls must be SS if a day, and, hi-av-ens,
what dresses they had on at fie Tub
bington's on Friday I" Th ! fict U that to
have a pretty ball or an agreeable talon,
or dinner party, the weeding process is a
horrid necessity, and society in .New York
needs that it should be applied far more
unsparingly than hitherto. Ho one cm
give agreeable dinners, who, as a rule,
asks his guests on the clearing-off prin
ciple, or because tbey are old friends. To
give interesting pait es peorte must be
asked for their social merits aud advan
tages, snd all other claims must be subor
dinated to these. Lady Holland's extra
ordinary success as a dinner giver was
largely di.e to the circumstance that she
was not "in society," in the ordinary ac
ceptance of the term, and had no diunert
to pay back to bores with whom she bad
dined ; indeed, the Holland House society
was almost exclusively composed ot men.
As a rule, it is a great mistake to have a
miied dinner party of young and old
guest. Each bores the other. It is
dreadful to think in reference to dinner
given here what a tremendously costly and
elaborate machinery Is set in motion to
produce, in point of pleasure and tatis
f action, such small results; and this is due
(o vulgar ostentation and stupidity in not
discriminating as to who will hke to meet
who.
Snakes In a man's rocket.
As the afternoon train ou the Florida
Transit Bail way slowed np to a water
tank recently where a creek flows out of
a drearv cypress swamp and crosses the
way, a banter in high boots and cordu
roy coat with a huge bag swung to his
broad shoulders, climbed out of the tall
grass and boarded the principal passen
ger car. It was Prof, James Bell, the
Smithsonian Institution's Agent The
train was full of people who, for three
hours, had endured the innocent babble
of two guileless land agents. They had
learned from these truthful real estate
missionaries that alligators were as
harmless as gees, and there were fewer
snakes by far in Florida than in Xew
York City or Philadelphia. The pro
fessor found the one vacant seat and
flung himself into it.
Good afternoon, Professor," an ac
quaintance at the further end of the car
cried out to him, "do you have any luck
catching snakes these days."
And within five minutes Mr. Bell was
answering questions from nearly every
occupant of the car. Were there really
any snakes in Florida; was it safe to go
through the woods; how big did snakes
grow in this State; what sort of snakes
are common here, etc, etc Very gra
ciously the Professor answered them all
and soon had betrayed himself into a
dissertation upon reptdes generally, till,
in an aDseni way. lust to illustrate a
point he was elucidating, he nnbnttoned
capacious pocket in the skirt of his
coat and drew ont an enormous and
newly caught "coach-whip," which he
exhibited to a throng of staring and ex
cited people Itb habits and peculiari
ties were described, and he laid his
subject on the seat and from another
pocket drew out a number of chicken
snakes and water snakes of various
kinds, Would they bite? No, indeed,
they were harmless. They look kind of
'crawly" they ara so suialL
lie replaced them and unstrapped his
game bag. "Here we have, be said,
-a beautiful snake, natura'ly tame and
perfectly harmless, which anybody can
play with." And he drew out what is
probably the biggest kiug snake ever
caught in Florida nearly eight feet in
length.
There was a chorus of screama, aud
women and children, men even, fled to
the farther end of the car. Daring the
rest of the trip the disconcerted Profes
sor sat alone, and when at Gainesville
he rose to leave the train little irirls bid
themselves bebiud their mammas and
screamed with fright.
Tbe Mnfbalese.
The greater nnmoer ol cbildron play
ing in the street were boys. Girls, are
early accustomed to remain inside the
lints and employ themselves in house
hold work, Besides this, they develop
very young, being often married at ten
or twelve years old, and old women at
twenty or thirty. Grandmothers of
twenty-five or thirty -are very freqnent
lurther significant fact is the perma
nent disproportion of male and fermile
births among the Singhalese. The av
erage is ten boys to eight nine-tenths
girls. The fact is connected, to some
extent at least, with the curious insti
tution polyandry. In spite of the ef
forts made ly the r.ngush Government
to suppress this custom, it maintains its
ground, especially m the more remote
districts of the island. It is uot nu usual
find two or three brothers with ene
wife in common, and ladies may be
found tthe happy possessors of ten or
twelve husbands. These complicated
family arrangements form the theme of
many extraordinary stories; but it i
very dinicult to distinguish fact from
falle on the subject
The Singhalese have a passion lor
music and dancing, and practice both
arts according to a standard of taste
very different from our own. Their
principle instruments are the dram a id
the tomtom, vigorously belabored with
wooden drumsticks; besides these, they
have reed pipes, and a very primitive
fringed n strnment of one stnujr. My
evening calm was often broken in npou
by the din of these ear-rplitting iustru-
uients, and if I followed the sound toiu
source was I sure to find, in front of a
fire under a palm tree, a group of ten or
dozen naked, brown fellows, gaily
painted with white yellow or red stripes
and indulging in the most extraordinary
antics. A circle of spectators stood
round and followed the grotesque per
formance with devout attention.
VolKartHea or ftpeech.
The above term properly includes not
only words and phrases of obvious coarse
ness, but a large .class of expressions In
which a fine word is employed in place of
a simple one, or a word that does not prop
erly convey tbe meaning is useiL The use
of many-syliabled words in place of short
ones has oeen a notorious vice of news
paper writers, whose example has been
Urgely followed in conversation. With
out running to the opposite extreme, tbe
simplest language sufficient to convey one's
meaning is the best to use. Many will
find it profitable to keep handy for refer
ence the following list of common errors.
Much might be added to it
Accord, for give, "the information was
accorded bim."
Aggravate, for irritate; aggravate is to
make worse.
Allude to, fcT refer to or mention.
As, for thit; "not as 1 know," for "not
that 1 know."
Avocation for vocation; a man's voca
tion is his business; avocations are things
that occupy Lim incidentally.
Illy, for ilj.
Inaugurate, for begin.
Kids, for kid gloves.
Learn, tor teacb.
kvable, for likely or apt
Loan, for lend.
Reside, for hve.
. Commence, for begin.
F wins, for pantaloons, or better still,
trowsers.
Partake, for eat
Plenty, as an adjective, when plentiful
is meant
Balance, tor rest or remainder.
Character, for reputation; one may
may have a good reputation but a bad
character, and the two words should never
be confounded.
Dangerous, for danger; a sick man is
sometimes most absurdly said to be dan
gerous, when it omy means that the poor
fellow is in danger himself a very differ
ent thing.
Animal Sule'des.
A story recently went the rounds of the
English press, and snob stories are
continually going around, relating the
anecting circumstances that snrrouuded
the death of a mongrel half-starved cur
that for many years had been tne friend
ana ciupamon of an old crossing-
sweeper. Ihe latter, not appearing for
several weeks, was hunted up by some
ol his cronies "on Change, and found
dead, and beside him the dog nearly
starved to death, though there was f.xxi
enough in various forms about to have
lasted some time. The faithful creature
refused t leave the body and when it
was carried away, leaied uton the
window-sill, and as the humble cortege
hied out the door, threw himself from
tne window and was dashed to pieces
by the side of the rude coffin. This
may have been acccidentid. but if looked
into it will be found that grie: affects
certain animals more or ess in a similar
way as in the hnman species. Inallfoims
ot aninml.s we may hud the suicide, the
lunatic, as well as the victim of hypno
tism; in fact animals, the lower ones
as they are termed, seem affected by
tne realities oi lite very much as are
their intelligent snpeiiots. Suicide
among aniiuuis is quite comtton, and
the story of the old crossing sweeper is
by no means an isolated caad. Do.js
have been seen to diiiberately drown
themselves, and the same has U.-n cited
among other animals. Curious casts of
gradual suicide have been obseived
among the animals known as hoiotha
rians; one, the synapto, leiug an adept
in the art, il to we may call it Iu life
the creature is elongate, often as clear
as crystal, bearing a tint of delicate rose
or pink, while the body is bedecked
with seennnKly silken bands of the
mst di lieu to texture. If the creature
is placed in an aqnariuai and totally
deprived of fojd 1 r thiee weeks, a
perceptible change will be discernet?;
not emaciation, but an indentation
appears, forming a circle about tue ulil
iimU, gridmdly growing deeper and
deeper, untd nna-ly, by muscular con
traction, a complete severance of thi
part is accomplished. The ftiiipiwl has
lound that retrenchment is necessary,
aud has decreased its size, thus lcsseu-
lug the demand. If food is still kept
from it soon another ring appears, and
a second part is thrown off, and so ou,
at intervals, until in a few days the aiii
mid that waa eighteen inches loug is
now a fcmull oval mass surmounted by
the dower-like tentucles, resembling a
sea anemoue. Ibis is the Lead aud
mouth for which the tntire body has
been sacriheed, aud it, too. tiuitlly uies,
if food in the shape of sand or luod is
still withheld. The effect of starvation
varies iu different aiiimals. Subject au
adult Hydroul medusa to it. uuu it will
change to the polyp form the larval
form of its kind, ill the higher forms
ot medm-a a decrease in tke number oi
the young is noticed, while among
moUusks such privutiou had produced
changes in the progeny that were pro-
uouueed at first specific. Certain
moths, partly starved, lost in their lar
val state the power of spinning a cocoon.
Indeed, the lack of food, and forcing
animals to partake of certain kinds, is
often productive of the most reniarkUe
esults. If the parrot (Chrysotis tettiva;,
so common in Brazil, is fed upon the
(at of certain fishes, tne green leatheis
change to red; and it is said that if the
richly decorated Indian bird, Loii r.'i:ih,
is depriyed of its aceuitoiued food, its
beauties of color waue. Bullliuches
grow darker, even black, under a hemp-
seed diet and the orange colored cana
ries, now so mucn in demand, are said
to owe their brilliant tints to dieting on
opauibh peppers.
Scorpions are extremely prone to
suicide when subj. cted tograat physical
pain. Place one within a circle of tire,
and it will invariably tnrow forward its
tall aud wound lUelf ialaily, seenuagly
preferring to die in this way than to
endure the torture of fire. Spiders and
ants attempt the same, tearing off their
own legs and stinging their bodies.
Crabs and lobsters oiten throw off their
claws and legs, and so escape, while
some of the starlight , when hi ted from
their homes, fairly drop in pieces.
Such an occurrence is described by
Professor Forbes, of London, and it has
probably been the experience of every
collecting naturalist He says:
''The first time 1 took one ot these
creatures I succeeded m placing it en
tire in my boat Not having seen one
belore, and being ignorant of its suici
dal powers, I spread it out on a rowing
beneh the belter to admire its form and
colors. On attempting to remove it for
preservation, to my horror and disap
pointment 1 found only au assemblage
of detached members. Tho next time
I went to the same spot to dredge 1
determined not to be cheated out of
my tqiecimen a second time. 1 carried
with me a bucket of fresh water, for
which the starfiish evinces a great auti
pathy. As I hoped, a luidia soon came
up in the dredge a most gorgeous
specimen. As the animal does not gen
erally break up until it is raised to the
surfuce of the sea, I carefully and anx
iously plunged my bucket to a level
with tne dredge's mouth, and softly
introduced the luidia into the fresh
water. Whether the water was too cold
for it, or the sight of tbe bncket too
terrific, I do not know, but in a moment
it began to dissolve its corporation, and
I saw the limbs slip through every niesu
in the net Iu my despair I seized the
largest piece and brought np the ex
tremity of an arm with its terminal eye,
the spinous eyelid of which opened and
closed with something exceedingly like
a wink of derision."
In the ibhuid of Lugon, Semper found
a an ad that did he attempt to take it
by the tail, would throw off the useful
member and elude his grasp. The
sime t true of the so-caded g' s snake,
wliicn often breaks into several sections
when alarmed.
Insane horses are of common occur
rence, Oue of the moat peculiar phase
of these mind affections is hypnotism,
that in man or - beast has within the
precent year attracted so much atteu
uou. Ihe term, perhups, orginaUd
wiih Dr. Braid, who in 1M1 revived tbe
excitement aroused by Mesmer in 1778,
referring the phenomena of animal mag
netism to certain psychological and
physiological influences in the subject
He applied it to his patients, and suc
ceeded in performing many painless
aperatione that have been repeated in
the curious experiments of Dr. Ham
mond. That animals are subject to
similar influences has long been known.
Herein lies tne magic of tbe snake
charmer and the charnsot tlie snake
ltseii over the young bud. 1 he most
veuomooa snakes have been drawn from
their holes by the actions of tucte
mediums, and handled by them with
perfect safety.
NKWS IN
The first use cf a locomotive was
in 19.
Eypt bc&une a Boujaii province
30 B. C.
The first Inciter
in 17U8.
match was ma.io
The firot iron steamship was built
in 1830.
The first telescope was used iu
England in 1708.
The first new?paper advertisement
appear! in 16oi
The flit copper ceut wis coined in
Xew Haven in lt7.
The first priatinjr press in the Uni
ted States was woraed in 16:10.
S!oss windows were first introduced
into ugland in the eighth century.
The British Museum Lttely acomred
thitty-uiiie Bal-ylonaru objects of silver.
The first attempt to mauufocture
pics was made s.xn aft -r the war of
18lo.
The first comnlete sewing machine.
was patented by EUjs Howe, Jr., iu
1816.
An exhibition of the works of th
late Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz-) is to
be held at Liverpoot
Mr. Bl:uue iiiteuds tosailmmthwurd
in the yacht Blaine, with her Bostou
owner, in the spring.
Professor ircuow. of Eerliu. owns
nearly 6.C0O human skulls of nil htm
aud nationalities.
The ?Jarqnis of Lorue h;s lin re
flected commodore of the Buval Xv
Scotia Yccht Squadron.
The com.il ption of thread of tl
In st grades in the l uited States is 21,
000, OlX) spools per auuunv.
A bottle of M gallons capacitv, the
largest ever blown in this couutry," was
lately made at Miilvilie, N. J.
The police of Berlin will no longer
permit public performances of tamers
of hons and other wild animal.-i.
John Cabot received me magnificent
uni of jCIO from Henry VIL by way of
reward f-jr discovering America.
The strength of 120 pouiiii.i is re
voked to tear asunder an iron wire ouo
twenty-fifth of an inch in diameter, f
England paid abont SI 7,000 OOJ for
convincing Arabi Bey that Lo ought not
to reiiel against his own government
The total cost of the new C.ipit.d
iu Albauy up to January 1, 18.il, is sta
ted by the Capitol Commissions at SI 4 -19:s,bO:5.
The Prince of Wales has t s ...!-
ringliam 100 short-horn cow n.l !
hort-horu bulls, which aro kei.t in t.
disttuct herds.
The debt of the UuftedStites nnnr
to the war was about S'JO.OiKI.000. Tne
iebt of tbe Australian colonit i i-
ready fivefold that
'Ihe famous chestnut
iEtna measures 210 feet at its base. Its
age is at least 800 years, ltalv baa
many renowned tiees of th-3 species.
The next exhibition of vr.rt i
Prussian and foreisrn arfiHbt a-ill ..L-..
place in May and Jane, at the I'olvtwl..
uic School at Charlottebnrg, near Ber
lin. A man over 60 years of a in .
ported, by a British paper, to have made
lod miles in 524 hours on a tricycle. A
younger rival did 186 miles in the same
time.
The whole nnmW of letters mailed
in this couutry during the year 1880
was 1,003,252,876, or an average of 21
to each man, woman aud child in the
country.
Sarah Beruhardt-Damida has closely
trimmed off the big frizzes of hair that
used to overshadow her brow, to the
great improvement, it is said, of her
appearance.
A cargo of pig iron, snuk iu Loug
Ldand Sound, off Sayltrook, twenty
seven years ago, now "beiug recovered
by divers, comes out from under the
aiid in good condition.
The hazing for which five Sopho
mores of Bowdoin College have been
suspended consisted iu cutting off vio
lently one-half of the slow-appearin"
mustache of a reluctant Freshman.
From the deposit discovered in
187i on the Appomattox Biver at Ber
muda, Va., there are now taken 1.IW0
tons aunnally or about a third of the
fine ochres used in the United States.
Artificial eggs aro now manufact
ured iu Germany. A woman who bought
a dozen of a pediller fonnd them filled
with water, the yolk having been ex
tracted and the hole covered with paste.
The schools of Portlaad. 51 r..!
centlyheld a "Longfellow hour." ou
which occasion interesting exercises
a ere held in all the schools, and a hand
some sum was realized for the memorial
tuna.
Hannibal Hamlin has civen tn f!..l.
by University a copy of the Cristopber
Columbus oil portrait in th X.i
Musenm at Madrid, sunnow! tnl- ih.
only authentic likeness of the great dis
coverer. The Hon. Alexander H. H. Stuart
has been requested bv the Hist.
Society of Virginia to irenar a l
of the events of IHM "which led to the
restoration ol the State to her place in
the Union.'
Albert Victor, son of the Prince of
Wales, is to be educated
Church, Oxford. Like his uacle, Prince
Leopold, he will wear cap and gown
only on occasions where they are re
q dred by law.
CusWr Couutv. Montana i
large.-1 county in tho United State. In
area is 3a, 000 square miles. It is Ur2er
than the States of Vermont
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Delaware
uid BUode Is!aud, all combiued.
The real estate snbioct to
in Philatelphia is 8oC2,687,o5o; furni
ture, S5,;!H280; hjrses, g2,304 965
cattle, $139,200; pleasure carriagee.'
5603,205. The increase over 18H2 is
-17,7u8,026.
The Japanese Department of A tH.
culture is plantinsr ovular lii ,T...
Yokohama, The Japanese ovsters are
considered among the tiuest iu the world,
U,JF" e entertained ot exportin"
them largely in a preserved state.
Workmen are already engaged on
the removal of the central tower of
Peterborough Cathedral, and as very
recently several new cracks of an aiarm
uig character have been discovered, the
work has been undertaken none too
soon. Tnonaauds of people are reported
to have vUited the catnedral from all "
part of Europe since the news of th
"proposed demolition'- was made public
1
n
!
Vi
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