B F. sCHWEIER,
THE O0IST1TUTI0I-THE UTIOI-1ID TEE ESTFOSOIXEST OF THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
V()I, XXXIX.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. "WEDNESDAY. A1TJL 1, 1SS5.
NO. 14.
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Tr.L"-IV-'i':' ,r",n LT lo0y t1000'
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3SE. ,.ft-i.-i.ti will
v v-v 'I"" l-nine light,
I!' ,t 'v. ,:..wl? fl.
'V.I
ms weird from mystic
Vl:
o..n be right
- i..vici! :!;' tlionchts that era:'.
1 t' '"' Hi'--', til'" ni'iJ.
Ij;:..-s--ii'l,i.'"1' , ,
' t . -1 v :,!! pt rtwt planaotli Mem
in- - .t-s m:m
A
I-"
v. :
'.ii'.il:ii i to-day,
if' :ir' i'l a !jhere
.iivii'pmr.
E.- ;'1S'y-
Tin: i. r kikaw.
e ifst of tunes we had hard
"nuke 1'otli ends meet."
, previously the firm in
f it - er was junior partuer had
! :',r;i our troubles began.
1 retrieve his losses, he had
in various simulations, the
which was that we were left
;,ine one evning through a
uow-sToriu. cold and niisera
vnilering if njy way would
;.'ong the rough and dark
ie, I t-eeaine aware that our
a:
ni'.i'l"s
I' '
n, re nnusiially bright .Mollie
.- ! .r. and I saw a curious
f 1 V i-mre and trouble on her
v f.ice, while her eyes were
is !h- matter, Mollie?" I ex
"Why is the best bed -room all
r .re he could answer, I heard
CM.!
lit "
r
t
on tiie stairs, anu, rusuing
,., ......ii-itered KUiel about half way.
'llo. Mm darling,"! cried, hug-
0:1
I'.IiC li'T
Bran '"
ce a bear, "wliat ua you
muni us hka a thief in
: V 1 i ow (1 id you manage to get
Von slid the house would be
.fl-ei'p'e. Come down and tell
.it it;" and 1 lgan dragging
1 th" stiiirs. "Oh. dear! It is
1 h ive you! Mollie and I were
t v"ii at breakfast, and saying
tmfiill 1
u a'i
trr '
S' '. ' e t'
L.:-:i
:i inn 11 wouiu lie 11 yoa were
bri. i:!;i v con id ail crumoieioeeiner."
"li ::'t !" too glad alwut, Ksther,"
put 111 K'' 1 fadly; I am afraid it is a
nutvr t r r- i-ret nitherthan rejoicing."
-iVr:v y 15.it. goodness, Ethel, what
haw y m h-eii lining to yourself?" for
wt.ii! ct a far as the sitting-room,
th' iircht gaslight showed us a pale
tin f e :i"t a bit like the bonny Ethel
of "''!
"! 1. 1
-in f.i
KriiiO.
t!iW' v
C.'Ee
v net lieen well foragood while
t. never since we were at San
1 think that little attack I had
iMliva fever which did Dot
!it jT jjwrly, and It has been in
:! evr since."
. !.hei," 1 interrupted, "was it
to tell us this before? You
1 r.e been taken care of loug
r':!it
1LM."
"I l.:.V.
turrl I!
EV Lfilll I
tvttrar t
really had every care," re-.iii-1
warmly. 4But latterly
.is been so bad that I could
htf children's noise; and the
d"Ct"r
it is quite imperative that I
a few months of complete
"A:,il a vt-ry sensible man he Is tool"
P'-t ill i! .ii.e.
'('!,. if ue could only sleep through
ties :!: , i iike dormice and hedgehogs!"
fi;!;t! M iiiie one morning at breakfast,
thr:i t!:::. were looking their gayest
U't'i Hivie and out.
"Ti'.ifs :i happy idea, Mollie!" I an
Erri"i. ; f we could only carry it out,
wu: asivmg it would be."
"Ti:eie"s the u)stmanl" observed
jutu.
t!i, I don t care about him now
r-.i"-l is at home. There is nothing
Ejiich t 'e;wt but Cliristmas bills; and
1 mil Mire tl.ev won t conduce to my
li.j.;-e.- I answered, moodily stir-
r.; mv t.- i.
"0u t..r .l.i.l and one for you," 6aid
M-'.;;e. '-I....ks suspiciously like a bill,
"'.if ci.M!e it is two pounds one
8i.a';i:; and eightjience for soling and
'tv'i: z. n rn. 15ut whom on earth
is da is Miis-.V from?" glancing at the
tiiin !'ir. . u'u piijier over which papa was
k-:t'i:i; U.s brows ill very jerplexed
Herea-iim for about five minutes.
n.tj our p.itience was well-nigh ex-
iiau.eti. Hi-n, liiving the letter down,
at ns with a half comic, half
f Jc iil expti sMon.
"1 r-; .i:v f,.r tlie worst, my dears,"
"Mill ilieu. "I'm not sure whether
w not y m'll ('.insider this to be the last
straw !;,, , hwika the camel's lack."
iiit i it? What is the matter?"
v'.ii!i.'ed in a breath.
"!eii-i it," s,iid pajia. pxssing me the
'r, an,) 1 rf..i,l aloud
''M;' dear Charles, You will, no
dl't, i. m'l., surprised to receive a
Wterfr,,!,! me after our long silence,
':Ysi ia'.ly a letter written in Eng
li!t..!!i,.rp,irTom'sdeath, India
"'tne hateful to me, and I determined
l" : I my affairs and return to my
r.at:ve la;;, 1. arrived in the spring of
iS year, after an absence of thirty
."r, a ji K.r lunely widow whose hus
'''l a:,d cl.il. Iren all lie in foreign
creves. My sorely-tried heart yearned
ki!''"1 1,,ve HIul sympathy, and I
I , forward with an eagerness I can
. p-.i t0 a Sigllt of the 0u faulj.
Ii.it I l:a l not taken into account
, !if,'s a:'d changes of thirty years,
'j i f.t::i-l uivself a strauger where I
t- tind a home. I went first
tn- liaise ,f my only brother, a
ei.thyni,.,, !,allt iivinR at ciapham.
lnff9T'i'"' !'','iLst'J eno'igh to see me;
ii.s wife, a fashionable worldly
uui, and his children, who are ail
Ju up, lookel upon me as an in-
and took no pains to hide their
ni;u,.!s ,,... ,, ...
L.IT-, lUlllU!i( U1V A
V
tbenf """I'l-'rtWe at last, and I left
M 1 T "'v oul-v remaining relatives
and children of my dead
dP1 at Crst I was received with
from i1 An uknown aunt coming
M!a was a Possible mine of
But 1 a" 83 8llca not io 06 despised.
xi fhm q",tk at readin? faces, and I
kard r'11 Xh"m at ouc" Tlwy were
ln ')riJ1y? shallow, and selfish; and
tot a. H lew wed. no rich pres
uaa Uea received, no sius of
" c!iiau. how different would have
their receptiou of me! For a few
-'Wis . for my brother's sake, I bore
eiirw ami iinKimi hints? hut. ir.
wealth had been manifested, their cor
diality and politeness underwent a rapid
change, and I have fared worse here
thau with my brother's family.
"Now, my dear Charles, von know
my utter trieudlessness. I have no
claims whatever on your kindness or
hospitality; but I dare to hope that for
Tom's sake you will give his widow a
place by your own fireside. My brother
told me you had had heavy losses years
ago, out 1 trust rortune has favored you
since then. At all events. I shall not
be a burden upon you, for I can afford
to pay a sufficient sum for mv mainte
nance. Mill I know that very f-w
would be found willing to take a poor
frail old woman into their family circle
wieuoui 'great expectations;' and.
though I cannot help hoping you will
be an exception to mv late exiieriences.
I have no right to Ihj disappointed if
yon refuse. Talk it over with vour
wife and children, whose acquaintance
I am very anxious to make, aud let me
have, ir possible, an early reply.
"This long letter must have tried
your patience already; so I will say no
more at present, except to present my
Kindest regards to your wife and f.ih.ily,
and to assure you all that I will on no
account trespass on your hospitality if
1 c-tuse you the least inconvenience. I
remain, my dear Cii irlcs,
"Your affectionate sister.
"Makgaket Clayton.''
'Well," I exclaimed, with a sort of
gasp, laying down the letter, '-this is
certainly adding insult to injury on the
part of Dame iortunel How, in the
name of all that is marvellous, are we
to take another into the family when we
are on the verge of starvation already?"
"Come, come, Essie," broke m papa
"it is not quite so bad as that. Be
sides, Margaret says she can pay for her
board and lodging."
"Y-e s," I answered doubtfully.; "but
it's sure not to be much. But who is
she. dad? Do yon rememlter herat all?"
"Yes; when I saw her last she was a
young girl of two or three aud twenty;
but thirty years under an Indiau sua
must have changed her very much.
"Indeed, yes," I said, ''but was she
nice? He never se?-in to nave hear!
anything alwut her v
'Xo, ikk x sou!!" rep'ie.l papi. "She
ciu nerself off from all her old friends
when she went with Tom to India. IIt
children all died young, and now poor
Tom has gone too." and father's voice
grew low and husky as he thought f
the wild handsome brother whose bright
laughing face, as it hxiked out upon ns
from the painted canvas, had lieen the
beau -ideal of our girlish fancies.
"I'oor old auntie!" I said gently. "Of
course she must come to us. It seems
very hard that she should lie so lonely
and desolate in her old age, doesn t it
daddy?"
"Yes, indeed " returned papa sadly.
"But how on earth can we have her
here, with two invalids on your hands
already?"
"But she is not an Invalid, papa?"
"Old iieople alwavs are, more or lesi.
and, besides, slie will want so much at
tention and waiting upon. They never
move hand or foot, if I hey cau help it.
In ludia; and poor Utile Mollie is almost
worn out already."
"Sot a bit of it, dad!" said Mollie
biiskly. "We'll manage somehow. Tue
spare room can be turned into a sitting
room and bed room combined, and then
we sna'n't alwavs lie obliged to have her
with us;" and Mollie pulled a wry little
face.
Everything was soon settled. Mamma
and Ethel agreed with us that poor
aunt's lot was worse than ours, inas
much as she had no one to love her or
be kind to her In her declining years
and, though e all had a few misgl vings
as to what changes she might cause in
our happy home circle, yet we set to
work cheerfully to prepare for her com
ing. She certainly had not let the grass
grow under her feeu We had received
her letter on Tuesday, and now on r ri-
day evening we were expecting her by
the 6.30 express.
The fire was burning brightly, and
on one side of it, redlining on a sofa.
lay poor mainm.1. with a look ot pleased
expectation on her sweet worn iace.
Opposite, to her, in a deep arm-chair, sat
Ethel, looking still pale and weak, but
verv lovely too
"Aunt Margaret will think this is a
small private hospital," said mamma,
smiling as I stooped to arrange her pil
lows.
"I only hoie she won't turn invalid
too," I replied. "We have room only
for one sofa, and one arm-chair by the
fire. I am quite glad it is such a mis
erable foggy night. It will make our
little room look so comrortabie uy com
parison;" and with a good deal of pride
I glanced round our snug apartment.
"I hope she won't be disppoiuted."
"I am sure she will not.'" answered
EtheL "Every thing looks so nice and
homelike! Besides, papa told her we
were poor; so she won't expect any
thing wonderful."
"Hark!" exclaimed Mollie. ''I hear
a cab! Is it going past? Xo, it has
stopjied here! Go and open the door,
Esther "
I threw open the front door, and saw
papa assisting a lady to alight In a
minute more he naa Drought ner up 10
me, and introduced me as his second
dauuhter.
Take care of vour aunt, ksther,
while I see after the luggage." he added.
"Welcome to Bnstol.aunt Margaretl '
I said warmly, holding out both my
bands.
"Thank vou. my dear." responded a
sweet low voice; and, throwing back
her thick crape veil, she kissed mearxec-
tionately.
Mollie had followed me to the door.
and now held out her hand shyly.
"This Is our housekeeper anu aear
little Cinderella," I said. "If you are
not comfortable here, aunt iiargarei, u
will be all Mollie's fault"
Aunt Margaret smnea, ana iooh.eu
into Mollie's clear gray eyes.
"I have no misgivings." she said.
kissing her gently; and then we entered
the brightly-lit-up parlor.
Th tears rushed to aunt Margaret s
eyes as she bent over poor mother's
sofa; and 1 think from that moment we
all loved her. .
"I am so grieved to find you like this,'
she was saying in her peculiarly sweet
voice. "How differently we are all
tried in the furnacer
"Yes, indeed," repnea aear moiuei
gently. "The crosi comes to us aa,
but i have mucn to m kiiciu
Margaret;" and she glanced at the dear
faces round her.
"You have indeed," returnea aunt
u.,r "ml I also. Heaven has
blessed me with health and strength,
though all my loved ones have been
taken froin uie," .
.iv. m.wf lt us trr to fill their
places, auntie," said EUiel aoftljr. "We
will all do our best; and I don't think
we shall find it hard to love you."
"My dears, you are too good, and I
love vou all already."!
"What aunt Margaret still with her
bonnet on?" broke in papa's hearty
voice. "What are you thinking of,
gins.--
mere was a nurned move, and in a
littte while we were all heartily discus
sing our ' high tea." It was impossible
to feel shy with aunt Margaret At the
end of half an hour we felt as though
we had known her all our lives. Sitting
on a low chair, after tea, by mamma's
sofa, in her long black dress and vid
ow's cap. with soft white lace at her
neck and wrists, she made the prettiest
picture of an old lady that I had ever
seen Her manners, too, were so win
ning and graceful that we really forgot
all our troubles in looking at her and
listening to her delightful conversation
The evening passed away quickly and
pleasantly, and, on bidding us good
night, aunt Margaret declared that it
was the first happy evening she had
spent since her husband died.
After she had left us, we were all
loud in her praise.
"Such a delightful old dear!" ex
claimed Mollie, "Fancy your calling
her "the last strawl' "
"I must tell her that some day," I
said laughiugly. ''But can you ever
imagine those other people being So hor
rid? One 1 xk into auntie's Sireet sad
eyes wou my heart"
And mine too." put in mamma. "I
am sure she will be a great help and
comfort to us all. She has know? much
sorrow, and it has taught her to be ten
der and pitiful to others. I am very
glad she has come to us."
The next morning there were three
breakfasts to be taken np stairs, for I
had told aunt Margaret that we break
fasted at an unearthly hour, and she
was on no account to get up. I did not
want her to see that our meal consisted
of co-ffee and bread and butter alone,
fcir of course she must have her cutlet
or poached egg. I took up her tray my
self, and was amp'.y repaid for my trou
ble by her bright look of thanks,
'This must not happen again, dear,"
she said. "I am not usually lazy; but
this morning I must confess to feeling
a little tired and stiff. How are poor
mamma and Lthel."
I said that neither bad bad a very
g.vxl night.
"I'oor thinjs! I am so sorry and
s'ept so well! What is the matter with
EUiiil.dearT'
I told her all I knew about it, and
that 1 was afraid she would not get
stronger till her mind was more easy.
She worries so about lieing idle when
we are all so 'hard up,' " I explained,
"and she grudges herself every mouth
ful of wiue or extra dainty, because she
thinks we deprive ourselves of necessa'
ries in order to get them for her. I'oor
mamma is just the same. Oh, it is a
dreadful thing to be poor, is it not?" I
ended bitterly. She was poor too. so
felt no shame in speaking of our pov
erty liefore her
"I'oor child!" she said softly. "Is it
so bad as all this? I had no idea you
were really poor; it is a word witn such
an elastic meaning."
"I suppose ours is what would be
called genteel poverty," I remarked,
still bitterly. "Dal has been a long
time out of employment, and we have
never been able to save. It has been
up-hill work all our lives; but we have
never been so badly on as now."
"And yet without hesitation you
added another to your many burdens!
Mv child, what am I to say to you?"
The blood rjshed to my cheeks. I felt
overwhelmed with shame when I
thought of what she might have in.
ferred from my heedless complaints.
"Oh, aunt Margaret, what must you
think of me? i ou know we are all de
lighted to have you. You could not be
a burden to us. Indeed we feel that
you will be our greatest help and com
fort mamma said so. ana it is quite,
auite true!"
"Dear chili, l aid not misunaersianu
you. a our welcome last nigut was too
genuine to be doubted; but, all the
s ime, you have doi.e what few would
do without hopes of reward; and may
Heiven grmt that your recompense
mav be tenfold!"
We have done nothing, aunt Mar-
caret." 1 said lightly, ior mere were
tears m her voice.
"You have done more than you know,
my child." ana sue smnea siigntiy.
"You have healed a wounded heart aud
restored my faith in human nature,"
When I went afterwards to remove
the trav and wish her good morning be
fore starting on the "tread-mill," as
Mollie called it, she laid three pounds
in my hand.
You know, dear, I told you I could
pay for my maintenance, i wm give
you this sum every Saturday."
"But aunt .Margaret i gaspea, in
astonishment "it is a great deal too
much. I we thought you might per
haps give us ten shillings a week."
Vou understood that l was very
poor too eh, Esther? Who told you
so?"
44 1 reallv don't know. We all thought
so from your letter, I fancy.'
And yet, like good Samaritans, you
took pity on the friendless traveler.
WelL dear. I am not so poor Dut that I
can afford to pay you a fair sum in re
turn for the trouble I cause."
With a licht heart I rushed down
stairs and showed the glittering coins to
Mollie. who. after a short star ol in
credulity, executed a war-dance round
the kitchen, with a tea-cup In one hand
and a cloth in the other.
When I came home there were other
surprises In store for me. A namper of
old port and a basket of game had ar
rived in the atternoon ior tne use or tne
invalids.
"The fairies have come back to this
prosaic world of ours," laughed Ethel,
as I opened my eyes at sight of the un
accustomed luxuries.
"One fairv has, I think," said mam
ma; and I put my arms round aunt
Margaret's neck aud kissed her.
I have some good news too, ' 1 re
marked by-and by. "I 'broke up' to-
dav for three wetks' holiday."
Every one was pleased, Mollie gave
me her usual hug and half strangled me.
"Oh. sha'n't we have run? 1 do hot
it will freeze, and we will skate all day
long." . . .
'You dissipated young woman! Ana
who is to take care of the house, I
should like to know, and wait on poor
mamma?"
Ah. that is my secret!" said Mollie,
look ine delightfully mysterious. "Cin
derella is metamorphosed, and no longer
sitteth among the ashes!" and. with
great dignity, she drew herself up, and,
walking over to the ue.il, rang it.
Will your godmother condescend to
answer it?" I asked, laughing; but, if
she had really done so, 1 do not think 1
should have been more astonished than
I was at the apparition of a neat rosy
cheeked maid in orthodox cap and white
frilled apron, who actually opened the
door in answer to the summons.
"Vou can bring in the tea now
Mary," said Mollie, with the new grav
ity that sat so oddly on her small dim'
pled face; and the vision disappeared
I rubbed my eyes, while they all
laughed heartily.
"What does it mean? Am I really
dreaming, or has old Mrs. Baker been
rejuvenated by your godmother
magic?" Mrs. Baker was the ancient
who came for an hour or two every day
to do the hardest part of the house
work
"Wasn't it a joke?" laughed Mollie
delightedly. "1 ou did look so taken in
It was as good as a play!"
The entrance of that maiden with th
tea-equipage prevented my further en
lightenment for the present; but later
ou 1 learnt that early in the afternoon
aunt Margaret aud Mollie had started
on a mysterious expedition, which the
latter now expatiated on with the great
est glee, i heir destination was a reg
istry-ofllce. and there they were lucky
in hnding a young girl with an excel
lent character, who took their fancy at
once by her pleasant face and neat ap
pearance. I ortunatelv she was able to
enter on her new duties at once, am:
had been installed in Cinderella's de
partment a short time before my return.
There were still five days remaining
before Christmas; but they passed like
a dream. We could scarcely believe in
our own identity. A fortnight before
we felt utterly crushed under our trou
bles; now we scarcely felt that we had
any. "The last straw' which was to
break our backs had, on the contrary
charmed the load away. Aunt Mar
garet had taken the two invalids com
pietely under her care.
Ou the morning preceding Christmas
Day we were all breakfasting together,
except mamma, when the postman's
knock was heard. There was only one
letter, and that was ior Ethel, who
blushed rosily when she saw the hand'
writing.
1'aul Is coming to Bristol for a few
days, papa; he wants to know if he may
call on us," she said shyly.
"Certainly, my dear; I shall be most
happy to make his acquaintance," re
turned papa cordially. "When is he
coming down?"
"To-day, I believe," said Ethel,
blushing more than ever. "He asked
me to send him a hue to the Clarendon
this evening."
"I'm so glad!" exclaimed Mollie and
I together. "Oh, Ethel, how delight
ful for you I"
But Ethel, excusing herself with a
murmured something about mamma,
beat a hasty retreat
'Who is this wonderful Paul," asked
aunt Margaret "that excites so much
commotion?"
"Paul is a doctor Doctor Farrell
and he is engaged to Ethel, aud be is,
oh, so handsome, and we've never seen
him!" explained Mollie breathlessly.
"Gently, Miss Chatterbox!" inter
losed papa, smiling. "Xo one else can
get a word in edge-wavs. The fact is.
Margaret there is no encasement at all.
They are both poor, and Ethel would
not allow him to tie himself down by
any promise to her. lie was the assist
ant doctor at Marleigh, where Ethel has
been living these last three years; but
six months ago he passed his dual ex
amination with great success, and ob
tained a better practice in London. He
came that very evening, just as we were
sitting down to tea Ethel introduced
him with a mixture of shyness and pride
which was very pretty to see, and In a
very short time we were all quite at
home with him.
He was decidedly a gentleman, every
inch of htm, and very pleasant to look
upon, though ny no means "a young
Greek god.' He was as dark as Ethel
was fair, with a clear olive skin, dark
eyes, and a firm well-cut mouth.
Ethel for the remainder of the even
ing was like a person transfigured. Mol
lie and I watchad her m a kind of awe
struck wonder, and thought what a
marvellous thing it must be to be in
love. When she was going to bed.aunt
Margaret kissed her fondly and stroked
the flushed cheeks.
''I like your i'aul very much," she
said kindly; "he looks good and true,
dear, and worthy of our 'Blue-bell' "
for so auntie bad named our gracefu!
blue-eyed darling.
After tea we all drew our chairs
round the fire to listen to aunt Mar-
garet 's story. The curtains were drawn.
the gas was turned low, and only the
ruddy firelight lit up our expectant
laces.
"Is it a ghoststory?" asked Mollie
eagerly. ' It is just the time for a real.
thrilling, horrible ghost;" and she nes
tled on the hearthrug close to aunt's
chair.
"I'm afraid you will be disappointed.
Mollie," said aunt Margaret, smiling.
'for my story is not at all horrible or
thrilling; but there may be ghosts in it
1 mean to lay them to-night;" and she
sighed a little, and looked wistfully into
the fire; then, rousing herself, she said
briskly, "Xow, before I begin my story,
I must make one stipulation; no one
must interrupt me, not even to sav, 'Oh,
aunt Margaret!' " and she looked mis
chievously at Mollie. "Is it a compict?"
"Yes!" we all cried heartily.
"Very well then I will begin; but.
remember, no in erruptious are al
lowed.
"There was once an old lady who had
lived for many years abroad no matter
as to the exact locality; her children
had died when they were very young;
and, when her husband also was taken
from her, she went back to her native
land. After thirty years of exile, she
felt an unspeasable yearning to hear
once more the voices of her kindred and
look again upon her childhood's home.
But thirty years is half a lifetime, and
she came back to find friends and kin
dred dead or changed. Her old home
was in the hands of strangers, and there
was not a face she knew in her native
village. Sad and desolate, she went to
the only relatives she had left, hoping to
find among their large families some
one she could love, and who would take
the place of the children she had lost;
but there not onel Knowing the power
of wealth and the mercenary spirit of
the age, she had allowed her relatives
to think her poor. With them hard,
worldly, successful people poverty was
a crime not to be forgiven. Where the
rich old lady would have been feted and
caressed, the poor one was despised and
naturally enough she began to doubt
whether Christian charity or disinter
ested kindness existed in the nineteenth
century.
"But she determined to make one ef
fort more. She had proved all her own
relatives, and they were found wanting.
There remaiued a brother of her hus-1
ban4's. whom she had seen only bwic
in her life; he was married, she heard,
and had several children; but her grand
relatives knew little of them. Perhaps
this was in their favor; at all events, it
was. with a gleam of hope that she
wro.e to her brother-in-law, letting her
poverty be again inferred, and asking
for home in her lonely old age. By
retun ot post an answer came, and
suci? an answer as could have been
writ&en only by a noble-hearted gentle
marl. He and all his family sent her a
lieatty welcome, and promised her a
large share of their love and sympathy.
They were not rich, he said, and could
not vffer her any luxuries; but such as
they" had she was truly welcome to
share. Through the whole letter there
wasdiucb. a wring of truth that the heart
of the poor old woman beat with joy.
for the felt that she had found at last
what she had so long vainly sought
"TJhe was not long iu going. to them;
and'her hopes were more than realized.
Th(7 were indeed poor far poorer than
she had thought and many cares and
troubles were pressing heavily upon
then; yet, like the good Sauiaritan.they
took in the weary stranger, and poured
into, her wounds the oil of ready sym
pathy and the wiue of generous love.
Sinue then she has watched them day
by day, and her admiration has grown
with every hoar. She has seeu the
father, whose life for the last twenty
yearn has been one long struggle against
mistortune, bravely carrying a bold
front before the world, with ever a
cheery word and smile for his wife and
chiMren; she has seen the delicate
mother patiently bearing her pains and
sufferings, and repressing every possible
sign of them, lest they should add to
the already heavy burdens of her dear
ones; and she has seen the children flit
ting like sunbeams through the house,
always busv, always cheerful, always
unselfish she has known them all but
a very short time, yet she cannot wait
any longer; she needs no further proof
of their ster ing worth.
My dear ones" and aunt Margaret
smiled into our bewildered tearful faces
"1 am not a poor woman at all, but a
very rich one. 1 our uncle was not
successful at first, in the days when he
still kept up a correspondence with the
old country, and so arose the mistake as
to my poverty, which I was careful
never to explain away; but, after our
children died, and we cared nothing for
money, iortune, ever capricious, fa
vored us wonderfully.
' But even 1 had no ideaot the amount
of my husband's wealth till his property
was realised before my return to Eng
land last year. Everything had been
left to me unconditionally; aud. half
at raid of my responsibility, I resolved
to test my relatives carefully, lest
should leave the money in undeserving
bands.
"You know what the result has been
how falsely the metal has rung in so
many instances, aud how 1 have found
the ti ue gold at last Xay, not a word!"
as my father and mother strove to
sneak. "You promised not to interrupt
me. and my story is almost ended.
There is no necessity to enter into busi
ness details to-night, but I should like
to give you a sketch of my plans, and
see whether you approve, Jrirst.
thought of buying a pretty house some
where in the country, where the sweet
fresh air might bring the color into
Mabel's cheeks looking fondly at my
mother "and where the girls could ride
alxut, and have their rose gardens and
strawberry beds and such like You
would bud enough to do, Charles, i.i
acting as my steward; for of course
shall want a little ground about the
house. Then Mollie and Esther must
have their season in town, and 1 will
sf e that their faces are not their only
fortunes.
1 have left you out in the cold.
Ethel, because I think Fate holds other
things in store for you. At all events, I
mean to give you ten thousand pounds
on your wedding-day; and I have a nice
little broHgham which is just the thing
for a doctor. Do you think you could
help me to choose a horse? '
'
A year has passed since that never-
to-be-forgotten night and our wildest
dreams have been realized. Paul and
Ethel are married, and are as happy as
mortals can be. Early iu the spring
there is to be a uay wedding in the vil
ige cuurch, and a certain Cuthbert
Vernon is to carry me away to the
stately seat that we can see amid the
tall trees about a mile away.
I know there are very few aunt
Margarets in the world," Mollie remarks
wisely; hut there must be many people
as badly off as we were, and it may do
good to remind them that there is al
ways a silver lining to the cloud.though
it may be a long time in showing itself."
1 am afraid ours sounds a very wild
improliable story," I say; "but I only
wish, for others' stakes, that it were a
more common one."
At all events." returns Mollie mis
chievously, "it will impress upon people
the fact that mortals are very short
sighted, for you must admit you were
lather mistaken in calling aunt Mar
garet The Last straw "
Carious I'ioc. off Muilo.
In the library of Sir John Goss, re
cently sold in London, was a transcript
of a forty part song composed about
by lliomas Trails. Commenting
on this fact it is remarked that "to the
majority of musicians of the present
day the composition of such a piece
would be a feat involving too much pa
tience to be seriously entertained, and
even among the works of composers of
the old-fashioned school only one piece
of musical mosaic work of such elabo
rateness is known, so far as we are
aware," Works of this character are
not numerous, but the writer of the
quoted words might have known that
at about the time of Tallis the harmon
ists of England and the continent were
much given to such exhibitions of in
genuity. In a last century essay on the
church music of that era we read: "I
am speaking of an age when everything
was scholastic: when there were school
men in music as well as in letters, and
when if learning bad its Aquinas and
Smigleccius, music had its Master Giles
and its Dr. Bull, who could split the
seven notes of music into as many di
visions as the others could split the ten
categories ot Aristotle. A descant of
thirty-eight proportions of sundry kinds
was the wonderful work of Maistre
Giles; but Dr. Bull could produce to
the astonished reader (not hearer, for
the hearer would know nothing of the
matter) a piece of harmony of full forty
parts."
In the English Civil Service there
are 3.200 women clerks.
Ireland has ten theatres.
The number of children under 15
Id Germany ii lG.016.04i.
Key to Afghanistan.
The city of Herat stands on the Herl
river, on the slope of the Hindoo Koosh,
in the northwest corner of Afghanistan.
Due north, at a distance of about 230
miles, is Merv; due east, at a distance
of nearly 400 miles, is Cabul, consider
ably to the southeast, and almost equi
distant from Cabul and Herat, is Can
dahar. The main route, and, so far as
is known, the oniy road by which a
large force could be moved from Cabul
to Herat, runs through Caudahar.
From Caudahar to Herat is about 300
miles in a direct line; the road, however,
is not very direct, and for military pur
poses the distance may lie called 3o0
miles. The road from Merv is so near
ly straight as to be less than 250 miles
long; it is a good one, being at its worst
part, where it crosses the Hazral-Baba
Pass, about thirty miles north of Herat
practicable for all arms of the service.
It traverses a fertile country, and runs
for a great part of its length along the
valley of the river Kushk, so that sup
plies and water are everywhere "bund
ant Whenever the race for Herat be
gins, if there is a fair start, the Rus
sians should get down the perpendicu
lar L from Merv before the English
can get up the thick side of the V from
Caudahar. It is not probable, however,
as shown below, that the Russian ad
vance will be from the Merv quarter.
The position occupied by Herat, on
the high road between India and Persia,
the centre spot of an extensive and fer
tile valley, well watered by channels
made from a perennial stream, marks
her out as the natural garden and gran
ary of Central Asia. It is situated in a
plain about 2,500 feet above the sea.
and is fortified with mud walls, pre
senting the form of a square, each side
of which is something under a mile iu
length. The streets are ill-built, nar
row and dirty. "Only man is vile" at
Herat however, for nature has done
everything for the city and its environs.
The climate is the finest In Asia; only
two months of the twelve are hot, and
even then the mercury rarely rises
aboee 85 deg in the shade. The nights
are always cool, often cold. The
Heratis have a proverb, "If the soil of
Ispahan, the cool breezes of Herat, and
the waters of Khwarizan were in the
same place, there would be no such
thing as death. The waters of the
Heri, Couolly described in 1:',1 as the
best he ever tasted, and the fruits as
the most delicious in tlavor. The soil
is extraordinarily fertile, and the or
chards, gardens, corn-fields and vine
yards stretch to the mountains, four
miles ftwav on the north and twelv on
the south, and along the valley as far sum iWs. or thereabouts, if the writer's
as the eye can reach. There are exteu- memory does not deceive him he will
sive mines of iron and lead, only work- undertake that not a single beetle shall
ed at the surface, aud the scimitars of 06 1,1 vour establishment during
Herat are as famous in Central Asia as j the time it is under his care. He ap
its horses. Silk is spun there largely, I" particularly to like the air of
and carpets of wool and silk are maun- respectability which is given him by
ractured. The other articles of export th,s yearly income, considering himself
are manna, assafletida, gum, saffron, J probably as getting thereby into the
and pistachio nuts. Half a cent urv ago position of a person with rents coming
it paid an annual revenue of $450,000 ,u anJ who wight even have to pay"
and Malleson declares that under Brit- income-tax one of these days. W hat is
ish rule the income from the Govern- 1,1,3 subtle communication which exist
ment to tbedistnet would suffice to pay ; between hiui aud the beetle, and lio
the expenses of garrisoning the chief be his spiriting, is as deep a inys
cities of Afghanistan. Foster, who vis- i 48 the great salad question spokeii
ited Herat in 17S3, described the city as of above. Like the salad-maker, hj
far surpassing Candahar in the extent of
its markets and the volume of its trade.
Christie, who spent a month there in dis
guise in 1S10, is as loud as Connolly in
his praise of its delightful situation,
brisk business and phenomenal fertility.
The Break -O'-ltmy Frml.lent.
Unlike most men of his build, Presi
dent Cleveland requires very little sleep.
The stories are very plenty here of visi
tors to the Executive Mansion, Albany
X. Y., who have stayed up until 1
o'clock or 2 o'clock in the morning with
the Governor, and then at G o'clock in
the morning have been awakened from
i half-completed rest by sounds of
heavy footsteps and of whistling, to
oeep out or their rooms and see turt
. f i : l 1- . . v. : .
uuveuiur wiuio ins uiumii-giiiasaiiaviu;;
himself and whistling as cheerily as a
schoolboy. Once shaved and fully
Jressed, the Governor would then let
himself quietly out of the front door
and stride away beyond the city's out
skirts for his daily constitutional, in the
company of the rattling milk carts and
the belated truck farmers on their way
to the city markets. In a small circle
of intimates he was known as "the
break-o'-day Governor..
Four or five hours' sleep and three
light and entirely plain meals a day till
out the programme requisite with him
for good health and buoyant spirits, and
in pursuing the course he has begun in
Washington he will be following his
natural bent He will miss the walk, to
and from the Capitol six times a day, to
which he has been accustomed, and he
may miss it so greatly as to make a new
departure in Washington. In former
times, before Lincoln was President
the Chief Magistrate had the entire
White House to himself and his house
hold, and bis work and that of his
secretary were performed in rooms set
apart for the purpose in the Capitol.
President Cleveland may return to that
practice, not only because it will afford
him exercise, and, more important still.
enable him to use the White House as a
resting-place and a retreat, but also be
cause under the present arrangement
there is not sufficient room for an ordi
nary houshold there. When President
Arthur desired to entertain friends, he
was obliged to send them to a hotel at
night; and it is understood, and it is
probably true, that not all the servants
could be accoramoadated under the
White House roof. In Mr. Lincoln's
time the great apartment into which
callers were ushered and the smaller
one now used by the private secretary
were taken from the household either
to free the President from daily and
frequent exposure to hostile persons in
the streets or for some reason that is
probably non-existent now.
Totwceo.
There lsnt a leaf of tobacco
rrown
'It all
on the Island or Key west
comes from Cuba, and is manufactured
into cigars, which ought for all reasons
to be as good as those or Havana, but
for some mysterious cause they are not.
There is supposed to be some fragrant
potency in the air of Havana which
gives cigars a flavor they can get in nc
other locality, but what it is and why
its charm does not exist elsewhere neith
er the tobacconist nor meteorologist can
explain. Tobacco grown from the
same stock, manufactured by the same
men in the same way, has a different
flavor, or bouquet as they call it, il
rolled Into cigars in Key West from
that it has if done up in Havana.
Two Qaoer Trmdos.
There exists in Loudon a gentleman
who makes his whole income by mixing
ialads. A few minutes before the com
mencement of a dinner party he drives
up in a hansom and proceeds to the mix
ing of the ingredients, which are ready
prepared for him. In a short time the
ialad is finished. It is placed on the ta
ble, it is an incredible successs. Such
n ethereal concoctlou seems as if it
sannot have been made by hands, but
rather as if it hovered between two
hemispheres, partaking of both while
belonging to neither. The greater part
of the materials are found for h'.m;
jome he uses, some it seems good to him
to reject,but it is surmised thathe must
bring with him some singular flavoring
r mysterious herb which gives to the
salad its imigical flavor. Any way, the
ialad is a success; the maker pockets a
luiuea fee, and flies oil in another han
som possibly to dream of inventing
another salad. Xo one has ever seen
the salad-maker at work. He demands
perfect solitude for bis artistic employ
ment, and he has a preference for silence
while it is going on. He has a bland,
mysterious, and almost unctuous ex
pression, which seems somehow to sug
gest a person who takes especial delight
in the mixing of oil. He has a manner
so quietly polite, so calm and self-con
tained, as perfectly to baffle any inquiry
which could be put to him as to his his
tory or the secret of his trade. Were
bis hostess to be even as impetuous as the
"Princess" in Der Aura, she would get
no information out of the salad-maker.
The apostrophe, Tell me quickly, what
thy name and what thy country ?"would
meet with no response beyond an oily
smile, a deprecatory bow, and a gentle
shrug of the shoulders. In what coun
try he discovered the secret of his salad,
whether there is a secret at all or
whether the flavor lies in the faith of
Ihe partaker, where he lives when he is
at home, and what he does when he is
not making salad all these things are
mysteries, and will never be known dur
ing the life-time of the salad-maker.
Xot to be mentioned in the same
breath with the salad-maker, yet having
a certain affinity with him through the
mysteriousness of his occupation, is the
professional beetle-hunter. He also
demands to work in secret, he also de
mands a fee, but his manner (unlike
that of the salad-maker) is somewhat
grim and unresponsive. He will come
whenever you send for him, and will rid
your house of the intruders instantane
ously, but what he rather prefers is to
be paid by the year and to come when
, ever he thinKs tit ior a small annual
allien a rxt uriTiiACd T hm narrnriii'inAoa
and the manner of them must ever re)
main a matter for conjecture. Ha
comes at night, in the storm or the
rain, but what he does, no one knows.
Probably he is a kind of successor to the
Pied Piper of Hamlin, aud parades the
basement playing on a pipe, by which
he lures his victims to destruction.
Afie For lrf.al Marriaa.
In the different European states there
is considerable variation in the age at
which a legal marriage can be contract
ed. In Austria the age of discre
tion Is 14 years. In Hungary each relig
ous sect maker its own regulations
marriages being regarded as entirely ec
clesiastical affairs. Russians can con
tract marriage at the age of IS in case
of females. The Italian law fixes the
age at IS and 15 respectively. In Tur
key there is no general law. The
French and Belgian codes allow marri
ages of young men at eighteen and girls
at 15 years, but the powers of dispensa
tion in special cases are reserved. In
Greece. Spain and Portugal, parties of
14 and 12 can contract a binding mar
riage, but in the country the consent
of the parents is necessary. According
to the amended paragraph of the civil
marriage bill, the state of wedlock can
not be entered upon under 20 and 16
years respectively though the existing
laws of of Prussia and Saxony permitt
ed marriiiges at earlier periods. There
is much dissimilarity in the Swiss laws,
every canton having a regulations of its
own. In some of them tne consent of
the parents is necessary up to 25 years.
The influence of climate upon the
temperaments and constitution is
allowed in the southern nations, where
maturity is reached at a much earlier
period than among the northern
nations.
Thv Richeal Helrevi la America.
Miss Xellie Gould, the very charming
and accomplished lS-year-old daughter
of Mr. Jay Gould, who is reported as
soon to wed the partner of her father,
Mr. Washington E. Connor, is one of
the brightest and sweetest little ladies
in Xew York City. She has been finely 1
educated and is highly accomplished. !
She is an artist of no mean ability, and j
her collection of bric-a brae, which has I
been adorned by her pencil and brush
has been greatly admired. She dresses
plainly but richly, and when in town
can be seen any afternoon driving
through the park with her brother
George and "Wash" by her side. She
has attended one or two private ger
mans, but cannot be said to have enter-'
ed the gay society whirl. She is quite
reserved, and to a certain extent retir
ing, traits strongly characteristic of her
father, the king of Wall street. She is
probably the richest heiress in America
and on her father's death will come in
for $20,000,000 or f. 30,000,000.
Fug.
One of the most valuable employes
in the office of the Valley Railroad at
Cleveland is a diminutive dog whose
name ot "Pug" bkewise defines his 1
breed. II is perfect points leave no room '
for doubt that his blood is of the bluest,
and that his ancestors were familiar
with palaces. But, however, aristo
cratic his lineage he takes a genuine .
pnde in honest toil, and, moreover, has
done much to vindicate his race from
the cnarge of stupidity. li s chief
duty is the carrying of bills, letters and
despatches from one office to another.
If the recipient of any document de-
lays to give blm a receipt showing that
t has been safely delivered he utters a
loud complaint to which immediate at
tention must be paid,
NEWS IN BRIEF.
Paris has 1,020 ballot dancers.
Jews own more than 1,250,000 acres
of Russian land.
Ohio has thirty-five colleges and
leads the country.
England consumes five times as
much tea as coffee,
Russia is to construct railways
throughout Siberia.
The Bask of England now covers
three acres of ground.
Denmark spends $55,000 a year for
agricultural teaching.
San Diego, Cal ; exported 1,108,000
pounds of fish last year.
Australia has four universities
equal to Yale or Harvard.
Sixty-four women engravers earn
their livelihood in England.
Sugar is reported to be selling at
two cents a pound in Cuba.
Helena, M.T.,has a calf 10 months
old that weighs 950 pounds.
The annual revenue of the British
government is 210,000.000.
Esquimaux doss will drawasledge
a distance of 00 miles a day.
There are 7,l('i2 women missionar
ies and preachers in England.
American steam bnkes are used by
French and English railroads.
Rabbits damaze Australia to the
extent of 510 000,000 per year.
Farm rents in England have de
clined six per cent in five years.
There are GOO professional lieauties
in London who don't work at all.
There are 4-"2 women editors in
England and 1,300 photographers.
Every member of the Texas Land
Board is said to favor its abolition.
One town in Xorth Carolina ship
ped last year 103,000,000 cigarettes.
The postal cards sold in this coun
try last year numbered 302 ,$70,750.
The number of postotDce clerks in
the United States is placed at 8.240.
San Francisco has 1.000 Chinese
zhildren ineligible to public schools.
Xot a solitary young man in Ogle
thorpe, Ga.. it is said, chews tobacco.
Bamuin says his show took in il,
400,000 during the past tent'ng season.
In Baltimore recently. lOO.OoO ca
ses of canned corn were sold in one
lay.
A Massachusetts physician has In
Juced forty young men to stop smok
ing. There are "5S persons engaged iu
the Postotli.-e iH-partment at Washing
ton. Kit Carson's monument at Santa
Fe is to be unveiled on Decoration
Ihiy.
There are 112 0-.I5 English school
teachers, ue.irly all of whom are spins
ters. There were 3.253 nostoffiees estab
lished last year, aud 1 021 were discon
tinued. A pearl has been found on the
western Australian coast valued at
f 20.0(10.
The Qneen is worth i",000,W)and
works harder than any woman in the
kingdom.
A gentleman of Rockingham, X.
C, has a pair of elks that he drives to
buggy.
The filter of the hop vine is substi
tuted for rags by French paper manu
facturers. Xearly'52.000,000 worth of print
ing ink is used in the United States
every year.
A reversible lwot, which may be
worn indifferently ou either foot, has
lieen patented.
Ten thousand five hundred women
bind English liooks and 2,302 assist in
printing them.
The numlier of postoffices robbed
last year was 407, while 2S7 others were
destroyed by fire.
There were 4t3 postmasters who
died bust year, while there were 705 who
were suspended.
Winnipeg, Man., has 912 trading
establishments, doing an annual busi
ness of 523.000,000.
The number of farmers In State
Legislatures is said t be decreasing
from year to year.
The number of postal notes issued
last year was 3,6S9.237. amounting in
money to $7,411,992 4S.
The fire record for 1SS4 shows los
ses in the United States and Canada to
the extent of $112,000,000.
By a small majority the Trustees
of the British Museum have decided in
favor of Sunday opening.
There were l,45O,7G,4G0 ordinary
postage stamps o!d last year, the value
of which was $20,077,444.
There are 93,138 women nailmak
ers in England. The nails are used in
fastening horseshoes in place.
The free delivery system is now in
operation in 15!) cities in the United
States, employing 3,8'.n carriers.
There are lG.0oo,i0 school child
ren in the United States, 10,ooo,000 of
whom are enrolled in the public schools.
In 1SS1 Prussian scholars were di
vided as follows: Protestants, 73 G per
cent; Catholics, 1G.2 and Jews 10 per
cent
There are 5,000,001) widows in Eng
land who long to do any kind of work
that will tend to make a like number of
men nnhappy.
London Bridge is a tramps' lodging
house. A seat in one of its recesses is
as much sought after as a stall in the
theatre on a first night
The British army luis now a field
kitchen, the fires of which will go like
that of a steam fire engine, and do its
work while on the march.
A colored man who Is worth $50,
UIXl, and hits reached his sixty-sixty
year, is filling the position of turukeh
in a Cincinnati police station.
Loud talking, laughing or smoking
in or near the vestibule of any church,
during divine service.is now prohibited
by local ordinance in Atlanta.
The armv of Italy comprises 3,250,
000 men. Of these MOO.OOO belong to
the regular army, 350.' JO to the mova
ble militia and 2,000,000 to the territo
rial militia.
Tlie Sultan of Turkey having pur
chased several Krupp guns, has sent a
detachment of Morocco artillerymen to
Essen to be instructed in the manner of
handling them.
Amsterdam, X. Y., claims the
credit of having one of the largest Un
seed oil factories in the country. It
consumes annually nearly 1,000,000
bushels gf flax seed.