Tf "1 - A iitMiOTai Km t t ? -.at ' m U MmU MUM B.F. SCHWEIER, TH? C0IST1TUTI0J-THE VJIOS-IXV THE OIOSOEMEFT Or TEE LAW8. Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XXXVIII. MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA., "WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 13, 1SS4. NO7. i 1,3. i I GUOD-Btt UK BOWDV-IH). Say pood-bye or howdy-do What's tbe'odda betwixt th two? Comin' soin' every day lk-at friends first to go away Grasp of bands you'd rut her bold 'J han their weight in solid gold, -Slips their gratp while greetin' you, bay guod-lje or howdy-do ? Howdy-do, and then good-bye Mixes jest, lau?h and cry; Deaths and births, aDd worst and bet, Tsngled their contrariest ; Ev'ry jingiin' weddin' bell tkee"riu up some funeral knell Here's my song and there's your sigh Howdy -do, and then good-bye I Say good-bye or howdy-do J est t he same to me and you ; 'Taint worth while to make no fuss, 'Cause the job's put up on us 1 Someone's innniu' this conoem That's got noihin lse to learn It he's williu' we'll pull through. Say good-bye or howdy-do? THE I'LAY THAT WE DID SOT WRITE. Miss Xelly Maynard is quite literary iu ber tastes atid pursuits. I called upon lier oue evening and she asked me if I had read Mr. Stockton's "Our Sto ry," in the Century. "Yes," I replied, "and I enjoyed it very much." "I like them the best of all cur hu morous writers." she said, "because I never feel the effort that he must some times make it to be amusing. It all seems to come as naturally as the fun of a little child," "Supposing that we write a story to gether?" I proposed in an animated way. "O, no," she objected, "Mr. Stock ton would think that we were just imi tating him." "lie would not be, offended, I am sure. But we might write a little play, if you do not care to try a story." "Very well," she said, "1 am willing to do that." 'Shall we have five acts?" "Xo, indeed, we should be tired of each other long before the fifth act." "That is not. polite," I said, reprov ingly. She blushed brightlr, and said: "I did not say that 1 should be tired cf you. 1 used the pronun 'we,' which you know always means the man." "Yes. in married life, but we are not married." "I should think not," she replied, quickly. "You need not look so indignant," I said, as if it were something very disa greeable. "I do not think that it would be any worse than writing a play." "1 do. I expect that this little play will make us both famous.'' "And do you mean to say that you would rather be a famous woman than a happy, loving wife, with a husband ready to die for " "How perfectly absurd you are! Do keep all that for the play when it will be most appropriate, and do not waste it all on me." "1 am very sorry that it is wasted. I supposed that you would appreciate the holiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable." "1 sluill appreciate it when the time comes. But now the play, the play's the thin?." "Don't quote Shakesjwarre." "1 sltall, too. M-r. Vernon, you're cross, and I think we had better give up this thing." I begged her pardon, and promised net to be cross, as she expressed it again. "Xow," she said, "how shall we begin?"' "You must be sitting quietly in your chair," 1 suggested, "and I shall enter. "O. no," she objected, that would be exactly like the 'Morning Call,' and we do not want to plagiarize." "We cannot help that sometimes, Tou might, perhaps, say that falling in love is plagiarizing. ''But that is so natural. Of course you will have to fall in love with I mean the hero must fall in love with the heroine' "What did you correct yourself in that way for? 1 think it would be na tural." "1 wish you would not catch me up so." she paid, the indignant color making her handsomer than ever. (I forget to mention that Xelly Maynard l b a remarkably pretty girl.) 'But 1 think that you might answer an honest question." "Your honest questions are so ab surd." "That is the second time you have insinuated that I am a " "1 have not insinuated anythiug st all wnatever 1 may have thought." "Well, what do ycu think?" "I shall not tell you." 1 ou cannot tinny, then, that you thought me a " "1 wish jou would not be so per sonal." "How can I help being iersonal when you fav such thu.gs to me?1 "What thing?" "Alut our falling in love with each otuer." "Mr. Vernon, if you do not stop all this nonsense, I will not try to write a play with you." "Well, then to business. IIow shaU we commence?' "Let us be iu the street walking home.' "O, yes, then you can wear that kill ing new hat of jours, that Mr. Xiles admires so much." "And jou can lie kissing the cane that Miss Lizzie Downs gave you." "I had rather kiss something else." ''The donor herself, L suppose." "I do not care a straw for the donor, and you nc -i not try to flatter me with the idea that you are jealous of Miss Downs.". "Mr. Vernon," she exclaimed, with the air of a tragedy queen, "1 shall leave this room," and she started for the door. But I fell upon my knees so that she could not pasi without tumb ling over me, and then made a fervent apology. She was soon reconciled, anditthig down upon the sofa I placed myself at resjiectauie distauce from her. "Well," I said, "we were walking in the street together." Not we," she replied, "the hero and heroine," "But you said we." "Did 1?" she asked, blushing again, 'it was very ttupid in me." "Xo, it was not," 1 replied earnestly, it was very swtet," 1 was going to say, but she gave me a warning look, and I substituted "exemplary." Then he burst into a merry laugh, and I moved a little nearer to her lovely self. 'Of course," 1 continued, "we 1 mean the hero and heroine, are going to her home. What shall we do with them after we have put them inside the,door ?" "Give them chain to ait upon. They may be very tired you know." "No," I objected, "a sofa would be more natural." "Chairs would be the .most proper." "I don't think so," I said, preparing to move a little nearer to herself, but restrained by a quick motion of her pretty hand. "Just thinK how absurd it would be if you and I were to take two chairs at opposite ends of the room." "It would not be absuiy. sitting on the sofa together denotes " "What? I interrupted quickly. "Xo matter," she answered so dryly that 1 could have bitten my unfortu nate tongueor having interrupted her. "You do not treat me very well," I said, in a reproachful tone. But she took no notice or my re proach, and I said, in an abrupt, busi ness-like way. that I cannot bear in a pietty woman! -'Let us go task to the play if you please." "Just as you say. What shall we have our lover's talk about?" ' Let them quarrel, as a matter of course. He must b jealous of euuie one. Men always are."; -'Xo, indeed, it is always the lady who is jealous of some Mary, or Jennie, or Lizzie '' "Xo, it is nos." "You should not contradict me so," "You contradicted me." "Xot so abruptly." "You talk to me as though I were a school girl." "Pardon me, then, I did not mean to. As I was saying you must be jealous of Liz " "M. Vernon," she exclaimed Indig nantly, "wont you please move further away and give your attention to the heroine." "Yes, ma'am," I replied, moving Labout a quarter of an inch, "but ws havenot really commenced yet. emust begin to talk in character and I will write it all down. You must reproach me for my attentions to Liz well, anything you please to call her," o, that is not the thing at alL You are to be jealous, not I." "But I am not jealous of Mr. Xiles. A mere sujterficial butterfly." "He is not a butterfly. Mr. Vernon. The term would be much more appro priate applied to Miss Downs. Silly, little vain thing." "You said you were not jealous." "I am not. But that has nothing to do w ith it. I am not Xelly Mavnard, now, and you are .pot Mr. Vernon. You are Mr. Mr. " "Cadwallader." I suggested. "Oh, no, I never can get my tongue around tbat." "You might you lips, perhaps." "Mr. Vernon, If you make any more such objectionable remarks. I shall take a chair." . "Oh no," I remonstrated, moving back several inches. "But I am not Mr. Vernon now, you know. Oull me Borneo." "Indeed I shall not," she replied. "I will call you Mr. Spencer." . "Very well; at yiur service, and what shall I call you?"' "Miss Burnhain, if you please. That is a name ot mine." "Oh, why was I not born a Burn ham?" "I do not know as it wou'd 1 ave made any difference." "Xow it is you that are'eross." "Do you mean me or Miss Bum ham?" "You; and Xelly Maynard is a much prettier nam. However, Miss Burn ham it mast be, and you. Miss Burn hm, are supposed to be jealous, I be lieve." "How provoking you are! We set tied that before, you kuow very well." "Well, well, we will not argue the matter, and I will be the green-eyed, one, or try to be. Tell me "what you were doing the other da-, or how you came to be riding with Mr. Xiles?" "Why should I not ride with him when he invites me? He is a gentle man." "But I should think that a youn: lady of your culture and Intelligence would hardly enjoy the society of such an empty-beaded popinjay. "His head is not empty and he is not a popinjay, by any manner of means." "Y'ou certainiy are quick enough to defend him." "I always defend my friends," "Mr. liiles is very fortunate." "He is veiy polite, and although he is net a Leibnitz, or a JJacon " "I should tlii.ik not. X'o one would ever accuse hiii of anything of the kind." "Y'ou need not be so sarcastic. He can make himself quite agreeable, even if he cannot write a poem, or essay, or uttie piay, "Xow you are insinuating again. I suppose that you despise a literary man." "I did not say so. I said and still maintain, that Mr. Xiles can make himself agreeable." "I noticed that you seemed to be quite fascinated with him, and I cannot understand bow such puppies manage to make their attentions so agreeable to sensible women. 'And I cannot understand how cul tivated and superior men can be so charmed by such silly dolls as your favorite. .Miss .Downs." Hsng Miss Downs! She is not in Uiis play." "That is not a polite way to speak either to a lady, or.of one Excuse me if 1 was rude." "Certainly." "It annoys me to have you keep drag ging la poor Miss Downs." But you began it. 1 ou will keep alluding to poor Mr. Xiles, and he ts not in the piay either. . "Xo; but it might just as well be Xiles as anyone else, and I happened to thiuk of him." "You seem to think of him a great deaL" Xot any more than you do of Miss Downs." "Let's drop them both," , "Certainly, if you will promise not to ride any more with him." "ilow ridiculous that would be." "I do not see anything ridiculous in it." "Xot for me toell him. when he asks the reason of my let usal, that Mr. Ver non requested me not to ride with him." Jim 1 am not Mr. ernon now; I am Mr. Spencer." "Well, Mr. Spencer, you have not written one single word." "I am going to write in a moment, but I must sharpen my pencil first. By the way, if you will promise not to ride with Mr. Xiles again 1 will agree not to waltz with Miss Downs." "Wilyou promise that? ' she inqui red, so eagerly, that 1 moved a little nearer, but she drew herself up, and remarked, with quickly-assumed indif ference. "Of course it Is nothing to me." "Oh, well," I replied, drawing fur ther away again, "if you do not care anything about my waltzing with Miss Downs, 1 need not deprive mvself of the pleasure. Sue is a superb waltzer." "She ought to lie. I am sure that she is light-headed enough." "Ii is not necessary for a pretty, attractive girl to be either a scientist or philosopher.". "Certainly not. Mr. Xiles has Invi ted me to ride with him igaiu to-tuor- rew. He has some splendid new ponies." "Hang Mr. Xiles." "A little while ago you proposed to hang Miss Downs. But you, never will begin to write. Have you not mended your pencil yet?" 'Yes, and I think that we have quar reled long enough. It is time for the reconciliation now." "Yes, I agree with you." "Then let us rehearse, it. Lovers always take each others hands," I said making a mvtion to that effect. "It is not uecesary to rehearse it," she replil utterly ignoring my intend' ed demonstration. 'But we can describe the scene with far more fervor al ter practicing a little. " , "ltis not necessary or proper," she replied, with an air of extreme firmness aLd rigid fry. "Indeed,-' I persistea, "it is proVe- aua even laudable, if you will only look at it trom an esthetiopoiut of view." I am not esthetic." Yvs. you are. And you know lovers are not satisfied with ierelv holding each other's hands; they em urace ana. kiss. " sue gave me a very severe glance, but 1 coutiuued with tin uaunieu courage, "i minjc that we had better rehearse the whole thing, -1 tiiiiiK tLi at you are verv.iuiuu dent," sHe said with her face tumed away from me. "I do uol mean to be." I rep'.ied. think we should consider this as-a liter ary matter altogether and not regard' our own feelings at all." "les, she-said, "but we are not act ing, wc are only writing a play; and even in acting, amateurs only do those things in a shadowy sort of way." How do you meau?" I askedwith great interest and animation. ''1 niD the lover only put his arm behind the lady, without touching her at all and kisses the air instead of lies lips." " ery shadowy' I remarked, "and very unsatisfactory also. How great a distance do you demand a quarter of an inch.-"' "Xo, indeed, fully six inches," she answered with the utmost gravity. "Let us try ft," 1 said with a gravity equal to her own, as 1 put my arm be hind her on the back ef the si fa. 1 hen I made elaborate and praiseworthy preparations to kiss the air, but her eyes looked so gentle and so sweet and her red lis so tempting that instead of the air 1 kissed her. "Mr. Vernon!" she exekumed, spring ing up indignantly, with eyes lookui anything but geutie now. "Oli, Xelly," 1 cried, "don t vou kuow that 1 l4ve you dearly, dearly? Tell me you are not angry, my darling I could not nelp it, to save my life." She was not very much offended, after all, and we did not talk any more alK:ut the play during that sitting, which was a pretty long one: but we are to be married next week, and Xelly says that af ter 1 get over being silly we will write a p'ay in good earnest. !L How Some Writer Write. Amo ig the novelists of to dar the women are apparently more Mrelul to the neatness and legibility of their MS8. Mrs. France Hodgson Burnett is precise write'', patting into her storiei inet so miuj hundred words, telling her publisher the exact number belorehanu. Miss Looie Alcott affects a bick-hand style, making her letters clearly and putting her words h r apart, so that they are easily read. Mia Fletcher, "KwinetV authorr writes bo evenly and distinctly that ber pages have the appearance of being engraved, and are sugc-stive of .much rc-writing and care. The copy of Jean Ingelow showg nu certain, almost childish, characters, traced on an unruled surface, Xorah l'erry inclines to violet ink and has a flowing, extremely graceful handwrit ing, together with a habit of scenting her paper. Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney has an Italian style or ehirograpby, and scrawl bat few words in a line, and a style neither easy to read nor pretty to look at. Elisabeth Stuart Phelps writes with a tremulous hand of an aged woman, and Lucy Laroom's writing also looks as if the hand that wielded the pen was old and stiff. 'Jennie June" (Mrs. Croly) writes easily and legibly, as does also "Graoe Ciret-nwood" (Mro. Lippinoot ). Emily raithful writes in an English, mascu line Land. J alia Hawthorne make her characters cltarly, but her writing is so line as almoot to require a micro scope to dtfiue it. Mrs. Julia Ward Hoe wastes no time on shading her letttra, and has a way ol patting pecu liar twi.-ti tj thtm that look funny, and yet don't make them illegible. Mrs. Celia Thaxter is always careful to leave a m-trgin to the lett of her page; bat writes a back-hand, and is liable to ran off the sheet to the right. Mr . Miry Bouth of Harper'i Bazar writ unevenly, but easily; Mrs. LoaiSi Chandler .Moulton is the model writer; punctuates, capitals a ndparagruphi with utmost exactness. Once, at a New York press dinner, Oeorge Wdliam Curtis proposed her health as the cou tubutor who lurnishes perfect copy. Mn. Lucy btone Blackwell of the Women's Journal is said to jot down her ideas ou whatever kind of paper is handiest old envelopes or circuiari iu a handwriting awkward and unformed with mauy erasures and paragraph marks. Among the men, Wui. D. Howells' writing is cramped aud liregular. Henry James wnte firmly, with heavy ink, his letters looking as though made witn a quilL X, B. Aldnch writes so nastily that nis chirjtetera Boem but half formed. Mark Twain's peuman- ship is basin-. as-lite and perfectly plain, but he usbs ofutii a ty ye-writer. Dr. HoluieV writing is exceedingly neat: he docs it witn ease and rapiuity; and GeorgeTFartons Lathrop sends oupy to tue printer that, though rather nervous ly written, 1 correctly punctuated, and has ail the print jjV marks added. CELi:nr boild in a little milk flavored with i-ait and thickened with a little floor makes an excellent sauce for boiled mutton. The Jane Family. "Jeptha, what is this?" asked Mrs. Jones, suddenly confronting that gen tleman as he sat reading. "That is a hairpin," answered Jones quietly, apiwrently absorbed in his book. "Is it, indeed?" retorted Mrs. Jones, "aud not one of niiire, either I A twisted hairpin. May I ask what has become of the rest of the woman ?" "Maria," exclaimed Jones, looking tip with the fearlessness of conscious guilt, "why these unnecessary and dis agreeable questions? What is that hairpin to me ?" "That is just what I would like to what I am trying to find out." said Jiis wife, turning white around the mouth and Waning faintly against the mantel. "Where did you find it?" asked Jones, looking at it as if it was a Gat ling gun directed toward hiin. '"I f-f-found it In your overcoat pock et," sobbed Mrs. Jones, 'that's where I" "Then you put it there 1" suggested Jones,carrying the war into the enemy's camp, "i don't use Hairpins. What do you suppose I want of the thing ?" and he assumed an obstinately virtuous look that might have deceived even a woman. But it didn't deceive Mrs. Jones, who suddenly changed her tactics. 'Jeptha," she said, in a soft, persua sive, sealskin-cloak tone, "if you ever loved me in the s-s-sweet days that are past if if ou have the least regard for me now, tell me tell me, where you got that hairpin 1" She could not have chosen a more for cible way of appealing to his feelings. The wietched man twined his fingers lu his gray hair, dug his toes into the Am sterdam rug, and gritted his teeth as he nerved himself to tell the truth, the whole, truth and nothing butthe truth "s' help me M'ria !'' lie beiran with his eyes cast down. and hiai low- troubled voice, that trem bled with canned aud condensed mis ery: It was only yesterdav."' he said. feeling as if it might have been a cen tury before; "I had been to the iestau rant " " Oh ! oh Lou ! you told me you never ate a mouthfu all day," intcrruptem Mrs. Jones. " to collect a 'bill ow ing me," continued Jones in hollow sieecii, "aud as 1 came out I saw some thing glittering on the walk. I thought of what my good m-ai-mother had told me years beiore -To ee a pin an1 let It lie. You'll come to waul before jou die; To aee a i.n aim pirK it up. You 11 be sure lo Bare g MX lurk. "Maria, I had no thought of evil when I stooped down to p.ck up the pin, as 1 suAiosed, but it was that mis erable hairpiu. I 1 wasn't it, An thony? aud I picked it up a thing" that any man might do Willi peafccl impunity." Is that all.'" asked Mrs. Jones calm ly. That is all," asserted Jones, with a truthful smite. Then where did this blonde hair come from?" inquired his wife, hold ing it up for inspection. "Did you hud this on the sidewalk?" Then Jones realized that the way of the transgressor is harl, and he owned up and really did tell, the truth; how that lie stepped into a diy gocds score on the avenue to get a pair of new kid gloves; how a pretty girl buttoned them lor him with a hairiurr. how she eave it to him because it was more convenient than a glove buttoner, and that he hoped to die if he'd kuow her again from a side oi sole leather a story that any reasonable woman would see car ried truth on the face of it Did Mrs. Jones believe it? A-heni ! The neighbors complained next morn ing of the racket, and said if Jones was going to rehearse private theatricals again this wiuler they'd comiel hiin to uiove see if they wouldn't. A Koiimm Cix.as. Rome Is astir early, citizens and strangers, slaves and soldiers, all are hurrying toward the great pleasure- ground of Home the Circas Maximus. With flutes playing memlv, with swaying standards aud gleaming sta tues, with proud young cadets, with priests, and guards with crested helms. skilled performers, restless hoises, and glittering chariots, down the Sacred street winds a long procession, led by the boy magistrate, Ma;cus of Kome, the favorite of the Emperor. It passes into the great circus and files into the arena; two nunurea thousand excited people think, boys, of a circus-ter.t that holds two hundred thousand people? rise to their teet aud welcome it with hearty iiand-clappinr. ihe trumpets sound the prelude, the young magistrate, (standing iu his awjtjestut or state box) flings the mappa, or white ag. Into the course as a signal lor the start; and, as a ringing shout goes up, four glittering chariots, rich iu their decorations of gold and polished ivory. aud each dravfn by four plunging horses burst from their arched stalls and flash around the track. Green, blue, red, white--the colors of the drivers strea in from their tunics. Around and around they go. Xow oue and now another is ahead. The people strain aud cheer, and many a wager is laid as to the victor. Another shout! The red chariot, turning too sharply, grates against the imla, or short pillar that stands at the upper end of the trace, guarding the low central wall; the liorses rear aud plunge, the driver struggles manfully to control them, but all iu vain; over goes the chariot, whi e the now maddened hoises dasn wildly on until checked by mounted attendants and lei otf to-their stalls. "Bine! blue!" "Green! green!" rise the varying shouts, as the contending chariot struggle for the lead. White is far behind, -Now comes tne seveuiii or final round. Blue leadsl Xo, green is ahead! Xeck aud neck they go down the home stretch magnificently, aud then the cheer of victory is heard, as. with a hnal dash, the green rider strikes the white coid first and the race is won! Xow, iu the interval between fie races, come tne ainieuc sports, foot racing aud wrestling, rope-dauciug and high leaping, quoitrluro wuig aud javelin matches. One mau ruus a race with a llet Cuppadocian horse; another exiert riiier drives two bare-bicked horsea twice around the track, leaping from I back to back as the horses dash around. 1 tween the circus performance of A. D; 13S aud one of A. D. 1S81? Two thicknesses of newspapeia make a good lining for apple barrels. Kmc If nanism. A reporter who was behind the scenes at the play of '-In the Banks," says. After travelling along a passage 'the stage was reached just as the curtain fr moment thl fell on the first act. huge cloth was fairly down, the stage was overrun with busy mechanics and assistants removing the kitchen scene, with its rural bric-a-brac and arranging the wood scene" with its wonderfully natural cascade that follows. Colored lights are grouped about the stage to bring out the .beauties of the artists work, the water is turned on, ascends through an extremely matter- of-fact hose, rippfts and babbles over the crumbled tin that forms its bed, falls musically into a trough that is lined with heavy cloths to prevent undue splashing and is cartied off again by means of another unromantic piece of rhose. The stage is entirely cleared of the ordinary scenery anq the grooves in which tue oia-iasiuoneo, scenes are run we.-e hoisted out of the way. the stage scenery or moaern days being held in place by braces tbat are clamped to the uoor. After the fall of the curtain at the close of the second act, confusion again reigned supreme. Iiopes were towered from the "flies" aud the solid hillside, trees, brook, logs, etc., were weisked into the upper regions like magic. The scene was torn to pieces with the most apparent recklessness. and the diuerentnwrtion heaped to gether in seeming inextricable confu sion. The church scene is now set tlte best. of.it being let down from above, dur ing which time it behooves the stranger on the stage to keep an eye overhead. Jets of gas are arranged in different parts of the stage, behind trees and tombstone whose presence is entirely Unsuspected by the audiencf ; the curi ous projecting window 5f the tavern is hiMated in place; the stage is sprink led with pasteboard autumn leaves and all Is ready for the curtain to rise on probably the most artisctic scene ever presented iu a Washington theatre. There are thirty-six drops that are low eied d firing the progre.- of the play from the "flies." Tius other scenes those mounted on frames are placed on- rollers, and it is a curious sight to see a man handle nnn nf IFima trmnan. dous frame" of canvas as easily as an experr waltwr does his partner. . The stage manager is an interestinir and important figure. He is a small. quiet man, giviug directions in a-cool. authoritative manner, and displays no peciai energy, except when he is roused to unholy wrath by the appearance of a much-be-roughed young lady, whose costume is a trifle odd. "Do you go on in the next, scene?" he asks, in tones laden with horror. "Yes, sir." "Wh- a-a t! In that costume!" "Yes, sir." "Young woman are you are aware that the next scene is an exterior, In the snow, and that a crimson dress, cut low, with a lace collar, is not exactly an ap priate costume? Go, immediately, and put on a hat and shawl!" audtlien the stage manager turns around with a sigh of relief and asks a couple of supernu meraries attired as soldiers Jif they diai't think that they could remember to go through the formality "of closing the cell door after they hurl the prisoners in, so tbat he may languish with some tlegree of propriety. The engagement is drawing to a close, and be would like to have that prison door closed once. just IUI iue&. : . . i i. Then he walks up to Miss Forsvthe. who is standing in tlie "wing." and sympathizes with her as she coufplains of a severe headache. A moment later she makes her entrance, smiles the smile-of devoted love on her sorely per secuted - husband, and enchants the audience by the tender pathos of her acting. Detriotd Kjre-SlguU The causes to whiuli this deteriora tion of eye-sight has been attributed are alleged to be cross-lights from opposite windows, light shinii.g directiy on the face, iusufiieient light, small types, and to the position of the desk, forcing the scholaj to bend over and bring the eyts too close to the book or writing-paper. etc.. But, were all these defects reme died the integrity of the eye would not be restored not its deterioration pre vented. The chief causes of the evil would still remain. These are the colors of the. paper and ink. White paper and black ink are ruining the eye sight of all reading nations. The "rays of the sun," says Lord Bacon, ''are re flected by a white body, and are absorb ed by a black one." Xo one dissents trom this opinion; but, despite these indications of nature and of philosophy, we print our books and write our let ters in dire t opposition to the sugges tions of optical science. . When we read a book printed in the existing mode, we do not see the letters which, being black, are non-reflective. The shapes reach the retina, but they are not received by a spontaneous, direct action of that organ. The white sur face of the paper is reflected, but the letters are detected only by a discrimi nating effort of the optic nerves. This effort annoys the nerves, and when long continued, exhausts their suscepti bility. The human eye cannot long sus tain the feroad glare of white surface without injury. The author of "Span ish Vistas," says of Cartegena that "blind people setm to be numerous there, a fact which may be owing to the excessive dazzle of the sunlight and the absence of verdure." Mr. Seward, in his tour around tlie world, observed that "in Egypt ophthalmia is univer sal," attributing it to the same "exces sive dazzle' of the wide areas of white sand; and the British soldiers, in the iate campaign in that country, exhibit ed symptoms of the same disease. In the Smithsonian Report for 1S77 li is stated, in a paper ou "Color-Bluidness," that "M. Chevreul has produced 14, 420 distinguishable tiuts of elementary colors, from which the paper manufac turers could select colors more agreea ble tolhe eye than the dazzling white, so weakening and lacerating to the nerves of that delicate organ." Combinmaon;luillinent. A combined harrow, roller, seeder and cultivator has been patented by a Fort land, Ore , man. Tbe harrow teeth ate beut upward and backward with reference to the direction in which the barrow revolves, to beat down and nn!varia Miule. t t ho Kufctmlvanrafra l.nt lue teeth are screwed into the cylinder tllv r he chanmi for annthpr form for different kinds of work, and the har row may be raised or lowered or sus pended above the ground. There is a detachable roller shell, and over the harrow Is a seed hopper, in which a ro tary seed dropper may be arranged AtrM Lot Uogs. All good actresses havd a canine pet and Miss Alice Basting, of Itoland ! Rrd'8 Py. exception to the "Here's -Ctiio,' " said the pretty sou brette, a sue entered the green-room with a rosy cold nose, cheeks and ears. and a small black-and-tan snugly tucked away auJer the sleave of her sealskin sacque. The maid took the little betst in her lap, unstrapped his woolen blanket, tossed him up and down as though he were a crowing baby, talked moat aflVctionaiely to him. Alias Hastings removed her wraps, and taking a couple of chop-bones, wuicn were rolled up in tissue paper like so many suck c-l Jiqnonce, from her retiuBle gave -them to "Chic," and ordered mm to oeo un tne piay was over. "Oh, 'Chic' understands me," said his mistress. "He's a Chicagoan, too, by the way. His mother belonged to MoVicker's stock company, ana when this fellow wits born we christened him Chicago. He waa the first and only doe born in McVicker's thastkre, and wo had a great time over it. Chia' conies to tne tbeatre whenever I do. but lis' good, takes a bone, and sleeps through tne p ay, bnt has to Lave his supper when it's'ivr," 'Does he travel with you?" "Yes, indeed. iJut you know tlie don't allow dogs on the cars, so 1 have to smuggle him in. I wrap him up in an Ulster, and he keeps quiet tail we want a drink. Alter refreshments I double him up again, and he's good till we reach our destination. Sagacionn? PI should bay so; he knows when he is a railrtoad car as well as I lo." Her friends say she has read herseli nearly blind, and is conversant with every character in Shskspere and the English novelists Dickens, Thackeray aLd Baiwar especially. In build ue is I lump, bSt has very small bones and weighs about 130 pounds. .Her fat annoys her extremely, but is of (h.t mailtable, manageable texture which cau be pressed down to a very small compass, or squeezed into a tight waist wiui admirable etlect. Sue weacs her hair, which was not long ago thirty- nine inches long, cot clo to her head. 'Oh, 1 eon t wear flannel of any u:s cription; ailk stickings, gauze merinoes aud one suit of luualui underwaro I find auflijient, I'm a great hand for cold water, and t ike a plunge bath every morning in tue year. ".at? oh, anything I can get. But I never have any supper till after the play, because 1 think a fail meal injutes' the voice for several hours after. lmm luck I have a good supper alter the pliy; if not 1 can subsist on bread and cheese aud beer." As she talked she began tp rub grease paint ou tbe hair over her temples, an in reply toau inquiry said: " "Oh, that is to match my. wig." Eindiug her thick brown, hair from her forehead with a cotton bajd. ahe got a little tin ..., . .. ... duckoi iuii oi coiu cream, wnicn aue rubbed over her face before "making it up. As tuis cream is made by Miss Hastings and used dalir, and at it ha preserved nor complexion from all eruptioas, chaps and dwsj.o.atins, the receipt may be ol service. "I never nsa glycerine, because it is too powerful; it burns the skin and in creases its sensitiveness. I go to the chemist and g t four ounces of almond ol, two ounces of rose-water, two ounces of cocoa batter, tme ounce of spermaceti; throw all in a bowl, set it in a pau of hot water till .melted, and when cold add the almond oiL Fat it in a mug or tin box, and you have good and perfectly harmless cream to pres rve the skin." Hsre shepicked up a little hare's foot and bi;gan to rub her lace. Her eyes were made in a jiffy. Miss Hastings has a figure that will improve any dress, bat few women are ever seen with such rerfectly fitting basques as she wear, on aud off the stae. Tney are simply perfect, aad admit ot no improvement. Fa.it, she has her corsets made to order by special measurement, and all her dresses are clot el in the back with cord?. There is not a crease nor a wrinkle, and it doe seem a? though thora was not two inches difference between tbe surface measurement of here kin and the material in her waist. I'oatuiue Id Athens. One of the great attractions of a stroll through modern Athens is t o notd the variety of costumes. The most curious and the most striking is the Albanian, which tlie Greeks have adopted as the national dross. It ooutliU of a black jacket, cut away, with open sleeves, nd rich embio.dery; a red waistcoat and a white embroidered suirt. The breeches are of blue, cloce-fittiug: stockings of white or blue; red gaiters nd red leather shoes without heels. pointed, upturned and long. Kunl the waist is a leathern girdle, from which protrudes an alarming diai I it of pistols and knives such as are ail acted. by the EeJouin; the bead is covered ith a high fes, or long auk tassel which sways stoat as the wearer walks. The principal part of tbe drees is the white "fustauella." a kilted shirt of lineastarched and wotn over the breech- . Sometimes as many as sixty yards of linen are used in a "fustanella," and the eflejt is lather that of a burlesque on a ballet dancer's oostuma. It is a ourious sight for foreigners to see a Highland regiment march out, bnt it is a lar more curious Bight for an Euglisu man to tss the Greek National conn parade in this feminine bat pictureqae and extravagant co tuma. The Greek aitisan wears a co.-tauie not online the Turkish, consisting of a short dark aiket, red wai txxt, very wide calico trousers, worn short and general y bine; bare lets and buckled suoes. Tuis u al-o the dre-ta of tha Cretans, witb the exception that instead of wearing shots they bava high boots, which hide the bare legs and give a bett r appearance. ' Sometimes ladies may be soon wear ing the national red oap or the The saiian headdress a. tiara ef gold and a Vii. thrown back bat a a rule they dress iu FaiLian styls. The reasant women almost invariably wear tue Albaniaa costume, and very striking it is, consisting of a long embroidered pattiooat aud a white woolen dress over it, while on their lieads aud neck are chains of coin. A hard-working young man with his wits about him will make money while ouiers will do nothing but loose it. Cha? abd Good Food. T. F. Allison, of London, a- noted doctor, says, "allow me to brimr under the notice f the public some expert ments I have just conciudext to solve the difficulty of feeding our poor ft Londou, and elsewhere. The err that food is so dear that the people can scarcely hva. This cry is truo if they want to live on luxuries, but if they will live on wholesome, bat plain and heahby fare, they can do so for very little. A lvttle over a month ago I de termined to give up all expensive articles of food and live almost as cheaply as possible. Having left off flesh foods for nearly two years, aud lecturing frequent ly on the question of food, 1 knew what to select. Looking over my food accounts found milk, butter, eggs and cheese, witn tea and couee, wese fairly ex pens lve articles, and none of them necessary, so I gave them up. On October l'Jth I began my experiment; my weight was then 9 stone 8 ounces. I continued tnis purely vegetarian diet for a mouth. wnen my weight waa 9 stone 3 pounds li ounces, or a gain of 3 pounds. My friends said I looked weli; I felt well, and did my usual work the same as ever, i walked from 10 to Is miles daily, seeing patients or taking exer cise. Here is an account of my dietary, wnicn cost me little more tnan six- penoe a day, and. I could easily live fur iwa without luxuries, .breakfast con listell of a basin of purride, made from a mixture ofckoatmeal and wheatmeal, whicn J- found more paiatabla "than either. singly. This 1 usually ata with bread to insure thorough lnsalivation. Then came bread tried in refined o-jitou seed oil, or fried vegetable haggis. For drink I bad a cup of cocooa or fruit syrup, with warm water and sugar. ine coccoa used was au ordinary oue with pWnty Vf starch in it, which makes a tnicK drink, and no milk? is then re quired. Dmner cisised of a thick vegetable soap aud bread, potUoo pie. Bavory pie, vegetarian pie, vy-,reUble stew, stewed rice and louiitoes. etc. For a second coarse I had bread plain pudding, stewed rice ani fruit, baked sago, tapioca, aud apple stewed prunes, ngs, raising and bread, lea meal eon- slated of bread and jam, stewed fruit or some green stall, ai watercress, ctlery, tomatoes, etc. I hal only ttire meals a day, and- treqaeutly wiie a Very busy, I hal only two, aud a cup.ol coccoa aud biscuit forsupper. 1 always use the whole-meal bread, as it is laxa tive anJ contains a good deai of nitro gen, whicu is thrown away wit a the brau. The cotton seed oil is a cheap and good cooking oil, and is impossible Id detect. Tuis diet 1 continued for a month, and now 1 only ta statue auiui-U products when oar, not havmgrheai at my table. -w compare this diet with oue of fleeli or a mixed oue The latest an uaiysis shows flesh to contain from 7 J to ii Ler cent, of water, the dry resi due being vefy rich in mfrogaa, and it contains a litue carOozuceous or IMy mutter. rUnce, tj live ou meat aioae, as much as eight pjunds a day is neces sary. I hen tnere are to be ojnudereJ the disease of animtis, which are coal- niunicable to man if tuat lies a bo not thoroughly oooted all tnrougQ; Sad as very few of Our animals live a pertectlT nut u nil lifn miv.it nf tlium ira m..M ... leas diseased, especialy the fat ones. X ue excess oi nitrogen taken into the system in eating deti mjat has to be got rut of by the ' liver, kid aeys, aud lungs; henci, thesj oraa-t are over taxed, and much disease is the con sequence. Iu fact, were it not for flesh food ws doctors should have verv little to do. Mai living in towns canio: afford to eat much flash, because Ue does bo get sufficient exercise and ox v- geu to barn up the ui rogeo. If lie does eat this than, and if he eat niacb then he must suffer from manr com plaints, such a iudieiti jn, bilious at tacks, congested liver, hemorrhoid. gastric catarrh, and otlier gas tic troubles if the habit be oontlnued in. g ill stones or urinary cal ja!i may foil jw, or riiuni i- tism and goat. Then the kidneys be come diseased, ani more work is thrown ou the heart, which hgcouies also di ea ed; tue end is death by one of the lingering diseases winch sU jws a dis ease J organ somewhere Even epilepsy and mauy nervous diseases are aggra vated by flesh. Cancer is on the increase, and. from some observations I have made, it may be ludrectiy trace 1 to flesh. Con sumption has only a remote connection witn nesh, it being chiefly to want of fresh air. Vegetable food is cheap. contain an abundant supply ot nutri ment at nrst cost, and our systems are so formed as to use it with least ex penditure of vital force. Ws use no ci nelty in obtaining oar food, and cau eaulwsee if it bp wholeioma or in a rot'eu state. I t means of oar diet much disease is prt vented, and even most chronic cases of present disease can be alleviated by it. If ws want a cheap dietry we have tha follofcig foods to choose from: V beat, oats, barky, maize, rice. sago. tapioca, Mmolina, hoaiiay, peas, betas, lentils, etc, which are all conoentrated foods and very rich in nutriment. I'o tatoes, parsnips, beets, carrots, turnips onions, eabbage, sprouts, etc, give variety, balk and flavor; to these m-ty be adued the sweet herb for making savory dishes. Apples, pears, currants, gooseberii , plums, strawberries, rasps, bia.'kberrie, and otuer fruits, with melons, peaches, grapes, etc., are high prieei bat wholesome traits. The dr led fruits, as dates, tigs, appla rings, currants, raisins, etc., are cneap and good. To these may ba added tinned goods. Taos oue ojn sea tne im jiense variety of tasty things we have, and these to suit all parses. We caa add to these milk, butter, cheese, eggs and honey, which are got without killing animal. Bat if wa take annual lood, tlieu tisii is least uijarioai, ttiea beef and mutton, while, veil, park, game, eta, are very indigestible, aad ou'ht to be avoided. A new form of window is being intro duced iu London, Etilaud, for p re- Tenting ac-l Je its iu cleaning and secur ing good ventilation. Tue two side bars of each of a pair of ordinary sash lrames are divided into two parts verti cally, and the part carrying tne glass U swiveied or pivoted in tue side pieces at a point central to its height. The frame with tn glass is held in position ty two small bolts in the top rail, whicu shoot into the Bide strips. When this latter fastening is effected tha two sashes may slide up ani down in the ordinary way. It will be seeu that to clean this kiud of window there is no necessity for servants to go outside. Poker la Kentucky. Frankfort looks like a country vil lage aud is. The headquarters of the different candidates tuat have been buzzing like a bee-hive all week are de serted. The hotel lobbies are empty. The town is given over to poker-pUty-ing and church-going. 1 thought thai the poker-playing at the last session was aouieUiiu; phenom enal, but It was mild compared wit tha e'xeesses that some of the statesmen-are indulging in this year. Games an going ou everywhere. All tastes caa be gratified. You cau find games of one cout ante and ten cents limit aud games of ten dollars ante and whose limit no mau kuoweth. Tnere are little minnows of gamblers whoun about in little private gaui.-s aud great whales for whom the ocean for limitless betting is hardly large enough. Cjusidenu that there are few rien men here, tue betting is simply amazing. It is a nightly occurrence for a mau to losd or win $-XW and several lucky players have quit tlLMA) auead at a sittuur Louis ville politician got into a KJwfTUie other night and after losiag jj pulled out $7iA winner aud the game wasuot what is called a large oue, either. And what a list of gamblers Frank fort cau boast of having seeu 1 All tue great names iu the State, orators, statesmen, lawyers, politicians, journal ists tne mtelleJt of tne S;ate aav for thewgreater part of a century bjeu concentrated hero at somtweasous ofths year. Tney still show you the tajle that Clay played at, an! the old psoule cau tell you tue very night that Iurn purey Marshall beat Joan C. BjcKeu ndire. What rows old blavers -were tnese men of tlie- olden tiui? 1 Joies that were gotten otf between tha deals have become the property of the uauoa. Sentiments that were ut.ered then have since be-joma houseboid words.. It is universally conceded mat Kentuckians are tha best poser players iu tha warli aad the palmy days of Kentucky pjier playing were wueu lueu like Marsnall sat at one side of a table au i iu ju like Clay sat at the oluer; wueu a mau would burn kis rigtu hand oil betora he would cheat aud wtieu tue u-t a il be; was 'two negroes a;rtu fifty acres o bluegrass." iJut ala aul ala 1 Tus days tue royal days of poker-playing, n id the days ot cnivairy, are over aud gone aud tne time of coli dec aad ruu-up bauds aud market cards is here aud the glory of the old gam has faded lorever. Uelleb of tne Karbere. There it goes for the secon 1 tirn- this week," petulantly ejaculated a bar ber in a Chicago Jousorial parlor, as he held up a razjr and looked a! iu a puz zled manaer. Ha stropped tha blade and again applied it to.tne chiu of the soap-bedaubed man la his ch.iir. Tue , facial contortions ot the m in, the ratp ing sound aud the look of disgust ou the barber's face plainly showed that all. was not right. . He tried several razors, but they would not work. Then ha borrowed a razor from the boss aud suc ceeded in scraping some of the hair from the face of tha customer. Judging from the remarks of the customer after the operafiou was performed, he serapjd something more thau hair. After tha man left lUe barber weut to the boss' and said: "That razor has gane back on me again." He suoke as thou 'Ii all hooe had departed, "fnat's your fault" cooly observel the boss. "Dulu't I tell you to put it near the stove when we locked up last night?? Y'ou can't expect a razor to stand by yu if you neglect to treat it rignt," lha barber weut back to his chair. and a reporter of thaDaiiy Xews be sought the boss to tell him sometliiu;? about razors. , Lvery barber has his pet razor." ha began. "Whenever a beard comes ui that can't be touched by any of the regular razors the barber takes out his box aud picks out his favorite razor. the barber believes that that particular razor will cut any beard, aa 1 its pre vious performances mkts this belief reasonable. Gradually he begins to respect that razoc and to tlevote especial care to it. When it goes back on him he is lost. Ha almost believes that tha razor is thing of life. Why, I have seen barbers accuse another of "hoo dooing' their pet razor. "What is the matter with this bar ber's razor? I see he is soaking it in hot water,''-a;ud t!ie reporter. 'Cold weather and undue exposure. The edge of a razor is a very dehcato thing. Heat and cold affect iu L uder a strong magnifying giass, theede of a razor, which has been exposed to tha cold, would seem like a saw. Hot water throws tlie little particles back into place and makes the edge smooth. A sudden change in the weather always affects tha razors in a barber shop nd ths tempers of the barbers." Tbe Smtea Mad in Sweden. Every one has seed the Swedish atvenes aad wondered at the quaint in scription on tbe top of the box: "land uticior, tanda acten svafvel och fosfor." Few, however, are there woo, when traveling in Sweden in tne home ot the t&udstickot s, leave the fjords, rocks and firs for a day and trace the match bacit to its source. And yet it would more than repay a day's bojsira at Jonkopiog to vuit the factory whence proceeds not a small part of the liht of the wjtld. The latest novelty, only at work for about a uioBih, is aa enormous engine, which daily produces 1,000,000 boxes of Swedish matches. This wonderful nrachlne re ceives the raw material, namely, blocks of wood, at oue end, and after a while give jp at the other the matches neatly ar ranged in their boxes, ready to be dis patched to the utterwt ends of the world, lbe wood, which in the course of last summer was brougnt over to Jonkoping to oe made into matches, tilled ttffcuty steamers and eight sailing vessels. Power af Heltlag. Horse power of a oeic equals velocity in feet per minute, multiplied by the w idth the sum divided by 1,00,). Oue iuch single, moving at 1,000 feet per minute 1 horse power. Double belts about TOO feet per minute, per 2 inch width 1 h. p. ,For double belts of great length, over large pulleys, allow a aout 500 feet per minute, per 1 inch of width per horse power. Fower should be communicated through lower rua niiitside of a belt; the upper side to carry the slick. Average breaking weight of a belt, 3 10 xl inch wide leather, 530 pounds; 3 ply rubber OOJ pounds. The strength of a belt increa ses directly as its width. The coeffi cient of safety for a laced belt is Lea ther l-lt breaking weight. Rubber- breaking weight. j
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers