1 ! ,1 i y i. ' j ii ;i ! ' 'i :'h i'-l -s' B. F. BOHWEIER, THE O053T1TUT10I TEE TTUOI U3 TEE ZIT0X0Z1CIIT 01 THE LAYS. Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XL. MIFFLINTOtVK, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 27, 1SSG. NO. 44. 'a II Old Programme. . jeklBC my treasure, over foamy i upuu i pickice of party programmes pnced through winter gone, A. I looked tbe lone list over, jjjit told of tbe midnight whirl. T wradrreJ a little sadly jf I were the same clad girl. OaJriiie, waltrand pollca,. Jim uJ George and John Something an thai order . im-s and dances are down, Qrtt tbe names I ponder Full half I can't recall; Xtn who were bowed to danced vrith And forgotten after the ball. Bat tbroKcb hs eeasoa' programme The single letter tl Ji written over and over How much it meant to mef Jltn acd names are forgotten Gav partners by the score 5u: the letter G and the writer -Are rem mbered forever more. All! each life has its programme With its mystic letter ti. And to all its inner secrets That letter is tl key. But still we strive and we conquer We (tea -fast are and brave And that one single letter stands, Like tombstone by the grave. A MISUNDERSTANDING. "So sorrv, my dear." said bustling iittle lira. Dornian, when she had enu merated her guests to her friend, Miss Styles, who had just arrived. VSo sorry about Alec Thornton, know you don't like hlui bad taste, by the way but I make uy parties as I do my aXt. Just by a recipe, and thai says don't mind conflicting tempers. The mistake is ail my dar, stupid husband's jtopidity. Alec was to have been in tarty number two got him changed ' . i - . t ' m - i i , With your great inenu, r ena a uuieit; couldn't give him up, though, after it was found out, you know spoil our numbers must have men, you see great nuisance, very sorry, but you won't wind I hope; nothing to do but let him alone other women all want him; you are getting your knot a little too low, dear there, that's perfect; you are pile and tired after your jour ney no, right in this chair, while I get a glass ot wine," and the erratic Mule hostess wa3 out of the room and back before Miss Styles realized fully that she had been a little faint and fol lowed Mre. Forman's directions to take a cUir. ".Don't go down to-night, my dear," that lady said in conclusion; "the men have U-en out all day, and will be un usually stupid. Fenn Triplett is clever enough, but he hasn't a cent on earth, you know, the others suit perfectly, some witty creature's, picture of hunt ing 'a gun with a bail at one end and a fool at the other' all but Alec, that e as you don't like him." JLss Styles bad not interrupted ber friend. ! .at nt w sbe put our a detaining baud as the Vtuer was auout to leave ber. "Catharine," with a little hesitation in btr voice, "I couldn't get a train hack tar's to-morrow morning, could I?" "A train back? A train back?' Mrs. D.rman could but repeat the words, "A train back? Why, Mary Styles, what is tbe matter? A train back? Of course you can't, and if you could you shouldn't take it; a houseful of people here expressly to meet you, too I" she exclaimed, with real annoy ance In her tone. "What can be the matter?'' "Nothing, " the young lady began iowly "nothing except " "Except what?" The answer was a very womanly one. recourse to a delicate lace handker chief. S how age is telling on my nerves,' the young lady said after a few mm ntea. "A bit of bad news and a half day's journey can knock me up like this." Poor Mrs. Dorman looked utterly at sea as to where the bad news could have dropped from; she had surely told none. 'I Lave not seen Alec Thornton for ten years," Miss Styles began slowly, "and you must hear how I saw him last. We were engaged for one happy month in Florence. I believe I really loted Lim and thought that he loved me; why else had he sought me? lie not need my money; and it had not then become the fashion," she said a htt.e bitterly, "to admire me. A little misunderstanding, growing out of my possessing a photograph cf an English man whom Alec disliked very much, ended like most lover's quarrels. After a few days' coldness we were reconciled tod exchanged pledges, blue violets for k-m, fjr we white ones. I keep mine as a commentary on human nature's fidelity. 'e had made friends one morning that afternoon when going to drive witli maiuma, wishing to give still greater proof of my submission, I left on the gallery table, where he would, if coming in my absence, be sure to se? them, a genuine woman's note of submission, the photograph over which we had quarreled (I gave that so he might destroy it if he liked), and to niy saenlical pile I added another testimonial of my fidelity, a trio of blue violets taken from my belt- tSince that morning 1 have not seen Alec Timniton; he left Florence the next day." "living no reason?" ''X ne save a few words written on back of my note. The significance of my action, he said, was unmistak Ue; he boned to my decision, and fece Le could not so suddenly face the inevitable with fortitude he must bid "near, indefinite farewell." Little Mrs. Dorman was quite breath less with interest and astonishment. "And vou have never had any wrther solution." "None; to this day I have not solved "is cowardice. He might have braved tte honest confession that be no longer joved me, and I should have survived jV' she said in a bitterly sarcastic tone. i have forgiven him," she added, waving a hand as if dismissing the nbject, "but mv memory doesn't lose teeth with years, as Mr. Lowell says us does, and 1 much prefer not meet nAlec Thornton." "O, my dear, of course, of course, ts so jieifectly mysterious. Can't understand it, always liked Alec, has Ht sort of suppressed sorrow air, so Cresting. Maybe there is an expla nation." "There could be none, I would not arot it,"Mis3 styles said quickly. -H it is perfectly plain, he never ed we, aud had only used the photo graph as a ureteit. which I was too ab sorbed to see until too late. We have "Mil now, though knowing the same jp!e, avoided each other successf uliy. "e luestion is, shall we not continue to do so? and is it not best that 1 go awavf't "Ho, no, a thousand times no," am. uorman said vehemently. "He anew you were coming, knows you are here, and would knbw why you went away. I told him this morning you numu ua uera." "And he said?" ' "Keally I can's remember that he uttered a word, looking at me a little oddly. I remember now of bearing him ask Mr. Dorman after that, if the '11100 people were at home, wanted to go over there for a little stay, but the house Is closed, all abroad." Mrs. Dorman rose and said: "Why not put this off for a fortnight? it was all so long ago. Alec's veiy charming, quite the choice man in onr collection, but I'll send him away rather than worry you." "No, no," Misa Styles expostulated. "Well, then I won't, but I must keep you. About to-morrow, let it and Alec shift for themselves. " The explanation which Miss Styles had just given her friend had not been vouchsafed to the Anglo-Florentine world two years ago, when it became known there that Dr. Thornton had suddenly left town, and the news grad ually spread abroad that his engage ment with his beautiful cousin was at an end. To be sure, the young woman de clared with charming paivcte that she had been jilted, but none thought she meant to be believed, and though she lost her roses she was gayer and more charming than ever", having during the following season a pair of counts at her feet. Mary Styles now no longer posed for the blushing maiden. She was begin ning, so jealous mammas declared, "to change her pink roses for saffron ones. ana would soon hang to the charmed "and charming circle by the eye-lids, since her handsome blue eyes were the only feature time was leaving her un impaired." The women voted her horribly nasse. the men loved her still, called ber a miracle of loveliness, but so cold! To night she had arrived at 7 o'clock for a fortnight's stay with her old friend and schoolmate, Mrs. Dorman. There were several guests already assembled around the table when Miss Styles entered the breakfast room next morning and was assigned a place between Mrs. Dorman's 16-year-old daughter and an old friend, Mr. Trip lett, A few introductions to those immediately about her followed. "Miss Styles," Grace Dorman began. after a short space given to greeting and the weather. "I was taking the views of the company when you came in regarding their trimmings. Mr. Triplett objects to blue thistle for his plate decoration. If you know him, as see you do, you will testify be could not be more appropriately trimmed." Miss btyle' handsome eyes, which matched her dress in color, were raised to her neighbor's face as she said, stud- lug: - - "I must consult a floral album before venturing to commit myself, and shall hope to find a compliment in my own surroundings," she said, taking up two of the morning glories scattered about her plate. "How beautiful and how pitiful that things so lovely should l so short-lived. 'The good die first,' " she quoted. "But they whose hearts are only as summer's dust burn to the socket," Miss Dorman continued. "I rrefer a sprinkle of dust, and will flicker awhile in my candlestick, thank you. So, on reflection, though I was inclined to feel jealous at first, you are welcome to the fragile compliment your vis-a-vii has paid your appearance this morn iuz." Miss Styles raised her eyes and met those of a gentleman who was just taking a piace opposite her Dr. Alec Thornton. "I am flattered to have remained amongst Dr. Thornton's memories. Miss Styles said, bowing in acknowl edgement of that gentleman's greeting. "Never having seen you." Miss Dorman went on. "I had to call on another genius who had, though after all he would only ba general, and se lected what would suit any wile," wasn't that it, doctor? 'Fair and tickle' he says they are," she added, much surprised at the expression she saw on Dr. Thornton's face and not in the least understanding it. Miss Styles turned to the gentleman at her side, and took up the flowers again as she said: "At least we are charming while we last, and if too much sunshine is fatal the weakness is human. Where is the man who can endure unlimited pros neritv?" "Give the Dgure a sentimental turn," tbe gentleman suggested, "ana lor prosperity read affection, the morning glory illustration is not happy." "I shall certainly claim thick clouds and rainy weather at once, and my 'glory' will thrive the better. The closer analysis develops new charms," the young lady continued, "ana i ieei myself indebted to Dr. Thornton for the compliment he has paid my woman ly nature." That gentlemen bowed again as he said. "They are beautiful, certainly, but uueuduring, despite your inge nious argument." "Fragile is a better word." and the young lady pinned a few blue bells at her throat. "Violets would suit you perfectly. Miss Styles," Grace Dorman satd. suddenly, "just match your eyes. ut. Thornton, why didn't you tell me vio lets!" she said, reproachfully. "I dislike them," we genueman said, shortly, as for an Instant his eyes met those of Mary Styles. 'And with me they are lavonie flowers," the young lady lifted a locket trhinh hunir on her chain as she spoke, touching a spring, displaying four little pale faces in the case. I'Vnn should wear really violet ones," Miss Dorman said, taking the locket. these are white." . "Yea, and old. A charm against fever," she added, laugmng genu, "rnt wnm for their beauty now"; as she spoke the glass case dropped from its place ana ine rour uiaus uwuj i on the cloth, crumbling to powaer. "No matter, I assure you," Miss Styles hastened to reply to Mrs. Dor man's exclamation. "I no longer need them. I hope Dr. Thornton," she added innocently, "the odor does not ivfonvenlence you. I assure you they are very old and dead." She blew the ausi irom uei dud a' physician should learn to keep his nerves weU in hand," that gentle man said gravely. "I have been the indirect cause of tne acciaent; u, u uul just I should suner inereoy. om. pass your chocolate?" Hrhe fortnight was over, and the soft moonlight was flooding everything on tbe lawn with its radiance, as Miss Styles, the evening before her depart ure from Seven Oaks, ran lightly down the gravel path to a summer house, in search or a shawl left there at afternoon tea. The wrap had been secured, and she paused a moment on the broad stone step to note the effect of tho moonlight on the silvery thread which wound at the foot of the garden, when a voice at her elbow made her start. She recognized it at once. The gen tleman threw aside a cigar, as be said: "I almost feel your coming here an inspiration, I was thinking of you." He was standing by her now and look ing directly down upon her. "I have something to tell you, Mary; will you hear it?" She stood with her face averted, her gaze still fixed upon the nver. "No, there could be nothing you could have to say to me that I would wish to hear," she said, coldly. "But there are duties one cannot ig nore on a question of what Is agree able," the gentleman went on, "and I ask you to hear me as simply a matter ot duty." "Duty Is an odd word from you to me,'' Miss Styles turned and met the full gazj of a handsome pair of gray eyes. J- "les; an unrecognized quantity be tween woman and man," the gentle man said. "Vet a woman at least owes a hearing to the man who loves her. Whatever weight the words might carry," the young man went on, "and whether well or 111 chosen I must speak. I tell you, against reason, ajairtst my best judgment. In defiance of pride. I tell you that I love you un reasonably, blindly, with an intensity that conquers pride and defies my judg ment, with a love which, after ten years' waiting of silence and separation and an ever-present sense of hopeless ness, is still unconqueredaud enduring. I claim by these feelings, which you alone have brought to life, the right to plead their cause. I claim this right, Mary," he added, with infinite tender ness in the tone, "and beg to win your lave." "Those are strange words from you to me. Alec Thornton. Are you act ing a farce?" "Is It then Incredible that I still love you? It ts strange that my love has not died, yet I must confess its vitality. In the first hour of our meeting at Seven Oaks I knew that my heart had never dethroned its queen, that, how ever cruel, she must always reign." lie paused an instant as Miss Styles said sneeringly; "We grow quite ro mantic; how unfortunately harsh facts are. lour vivid Imagination ha) woven fancy colors about a few in your life and mine about ten years ago. " -No, l remember with painful ac curacy," the young man replied slowly, as with folded arms be stood facing ber. "But what is pride? When one loves one's very life is involved." Miss Styles measured her full height tu U)t tii scjrntcliy. "lour renunciation has cost me nothing, as you sec" "My renunciation?" the tone was one of great astonishment. "The recollection is not flattering," iiiss styles continued, "let l am able to endure it with composure. though not apt to forget that my re lease irom an engagement was gra tuitous." "Gratuitous? Your release gratuit ous?" the young man repeated." "Un less you have lost your candor you must own I never released you." "Thi? borders on insult. Alec Thorn ton," Miss Styles said quickly, and looking steadily into the eyes that were fastened with equal earnestness on her own. "Fortunately I have your let ters.' "And I, equally unfortunately, have not yours, but I have what will, and did tell its own story my rejected pledge, the little violets." "Your rejected pledge?" Miss Style3 asked curiously. "Yes, my rejected, returned pledge. he repeated. "Possibly circumstances which have been burned into my mem ory liave escaped yours. I went to your house one evening tea years ago, a happy lover, believing implicitly in the woman who had that morning, with words she well knew how to choose. disielled my doubt3, and I think par donable jealousy. I round, when the servant answered me, you had placed a full explanation of your absence the photograph of my hated rival and my poor violets. There was no need for more these told their own story. You could not face me with the truth; the English Captain had stolen your love from me, or I had never possessed it, and you chose this manner of breaking the news. I tried to return your (lowers, but could not. The little ones folded in my hasty farewell, scribbled on a stray sheet I found on the table, were taken from a vase ou the gallery. Yours lie where your own Angers placed them that morning. From that wretched hour of awakening 1 vowed to forget you; but I have not alas, 1 cannot Once more, Mary, I ask you, may I try again to win your love?" There was a momentary silence, dur ing which Miss Styles seemed oddly moved; strength shejsaid in a low voice and looking quite away from her com panion: "Do you mean that you did not read the note?" "Can you mean that you wrote me one?" he asked eagerly. "And the flowers you left were not those I had given you." Her tone was beginning to tremble perceptibly. For answer be touched the spring of his watch aud showed, lying upon a bit of white velvet inside the extra case, four little purple violets. '-You laid them there," ne saia in a row, ior- cible, calm voice. Marv Styles droppea ner lace in ner hands, as she said m broken tones, "O. Alec, what have you tnougni ot mer "Consider rather wliat you may be giving me reason to think of you," the young man answered, touching care lessly her soft hair; then after a mo ment. "Will you teu me ir mere was a letter and what it said?" "There was one on the same sneet with yours if you had but turned it over." "And it said " "Some verv foolish words. I fear," Miss Styles replied slowly, and lifting her eyes for the first time to her com panion's face, "but none of dismissal." "Rut the flowers." and his strong hmirn finsrers possessed themselves of a strangely unresisting slim white hand "Were taken irom my rjeit a iew moments before. Your flowers I kept until a fortnight ago," she said, smil ing up at him; "do you not remember them?" . . "And may I repiace tnem wun ine old significance?" "However COUia l imagine juu uau not read my letter?" Miss Styles said after a while, still feeling something very unreal in her attitude toward her lover. - "And how could you ever believe that having done so I could leave Flor encer" So Alec Thornton and Mary Styles turned another leaf of life's book may tt prove a fair, unwritten sheet. JAPANESE TSAPKIXsw Fanny Little Mouth Wipers Made From ltice Paper. 'Taper napkins! Who ever heard of such nonsensel What good are they? were among the many exclamations uttered by good housewives when they first learned that paper napkins were being sold for table nse. They pictured to themselves squares of thin, white paper that would break at the first at tempt to put them to use, and sighed over the frivolity ot the Japanese for bothering to make such articles. Now, however, since their value has become known, every picnic party must be well supplied with these little squares of Japanese art. Hotels and boarding houses have began to use them, greatly to the delight of their guests, and it will not be long before restaurants, steamboats and even pri vate families will have them for use. "We make no pretensions to what Is called style. We are still in that social stratum where the article called the napkin ring is recognized as al missible at the dinner table. The napkin ring is the boundary between certain classes," says Oliver Wendell Holmes in his most recent story, "A Mortal Antipathy." But the introduction of paper nap kins will do away with this social stratum, and instead ot a clean nap kin once a day, or twice a week, as the rule may be. every one may be even more fastidious than a Vanderbllt or a Gould, and have a dainty and new nap kin three times a day, and at a very trining expense. For a family ot six three napkins for each one every day would make 126 a week, which is quite an "extra" In the wash, besides the care to keep them in nice order. Tbe reporter visited a quaint little Japanese store on Broadway, which. strange to say, is kept by a Turk and a youth from the Mikadj land. Queer little dolls with bald heads and bright. black eyes peeped out from Nankin bowls and Toklo pots; mattings and hammock, tans and umbrellas of won derful size, spangled with impossible Japanese ladles and gentlemen in pain ful attitudes of Japanese grace; funny little ivory "back scratchers.'' tobacco jars, tea sets, bamboo chairs and hund reds of other odd, yet useful, articles. which the two countries have taught us how to use for our own comfort. filled the little place. "Abou Ben Adhem," in a Cowing gown ot soft red silk and a littld cap on toe buua t hta Liuad ut a, st m the back ot the shop on a square box covered with a bright rug, and purled calmly away at his long ripe, while his Yokohama assistant flitted about with a big silken handkerchief flip ping specks of dust from the thousand articles or hnc-a-brac The reporter asked the little Japan ese if he sold many raper napkins. "How many hundred you want?" he said, bringing out four or five packages, "tor picnic these very nice. Sell for fifty cents 100," and he took out a soft bit of crumpled white stuff bordered with pale blue mandarins, each one trying to hit his neighbor with a mushroom-like para sol, while a big mandarin sat m the center in seeming bliss. "We sell great many of these for picnic. Americans say they are 'funny. I see no funny, but still like they please. Here some more fancy Si one hundred. These good for owa dinner table." The more expensive napkins were not generally comical in design, ac cording to the Japanese idea. Some were as soft as silk, and could be doubied up in the palm into little balls and smoothed out again without a break. They were in white, pink and blue, an 1 while the majority had only borders of a different color about them, many were covered with birds and flowers, umbrellas, weeping wil lows, teacups and pots, and every kind of a Japanese figure. "Do you sell many of these?" queried the reporter. "Oh, yes! We sell this warm time thousands and hundreds. They go for picnics, they go for summer resort cottages where ladies want no trouble with washing. They go with travel ins parties, who like them at all times. Then we sell them for decoration of parlors," "Do the Japanese use them?" "Oh. ves. at all times. We have only the rice and the bamboo for our house. Out of rice we make our food, our paper, soae of our wraps. Kice makes the soft paper HKe mis, tan does not break. Other things we make of bamboo. The reporter learned that scented paper uapKins, as nign as uuy ceuui each, are used in New lork. jay Gould and many other men oi weaan have them for their vachts. and many of the cottagers at Newport and Long Branch are using them this summer. For watermelon or berry parties. for picnics and garden parties, they are considered just the thing. Fine linen is apt to become stained or get lost, but paper napkins aie sweet and fresh, and may be thrown away when used. The Japanese expect. 10 anve a big trade in them next winter, and several cargoes have been sent here. Queer Currency. In some portions of Dakota where tbe county authorities pay a premium at five cents apiece for dead gophers the animals tails are currency and are re ceived as such everywhere, from the saloon bar to tbe church contribution box. The old bounty of fifty cents each on woodchucks was until recently paid bv the Selectmen of the adjoining towns of Avon and Canton In the Litch field Mountains ot Connecticut. In Avon the tails are required for vouch ers, in Canton the ears. By accident it was found, that tne wooucnucK Dins of the two town3 for a given period were the same. 1 olio wing up the clew, the farmer-boy hunters were dis covered to be collecting two prices for one animal, offering the ears to one set of Selectmen and the talis to those of the next. There is at present no tariff on woodchucks in the Litchlleld Mountains, and local crisises are im pending. These are stories that recall the days oi iavy orocKeu anu ms electioneencj tours. SPIRES. The Inlluence or Race and History a., l: . . . - - . d.tvu .in-micc'iure. The tall spire, conveying to the mini the idea of immeasurable height, and seeming to fade away in a point, is, perhapi, the most perfectly beautiful external feature of the pointed or Chris tian styles of architecture to which it propeny iielongs. I n all asres and coun tries there has been an apparent tend ency to carry buildings to as great a height as possible, and hence have orig inated the various architectural formt of pyramids and obelisks, towers in end less variety, domes of various shapes classic, Byzantine and Saracenic the minarets of the east and tall monu mental pillars; but the spire, obvious as its form seems in Us pure sim plicity, was unknown in architectur until tovr ird the end of the eleventh century. There have been many dis cussions, somewhat unprofitable, thou;-;! interesting, as to the source whence the mediaeval builders drew tbelr first ideas of the pointed arch and spire, an! general opinion has appar ently settled to the conclusion that the pointed arch was simultaneously sug gested to the various nations of Europe by the sight of the Saracenic arch dur ing the crusades. If this were really so, it must be added that the Christian builders improved so vastly upon any hints tiiey niay have received from the east that all traces of such origin rap idly disappeared. The spire, however, is a purely self-evolved feature, which originated in the general tendency oi pointed architecture, completely inde pendent of external hints or examples. Among other suppositions it has beer said that the form of tbe spire might havs been suggested by the pyramids oi obejisks of Egypt; but there are sc m3n? points of dissimilarity betweeD these objects and the true spire that it is exa-emely unlikely. t Discoveries About the irtpliinx. An undertaking has begun whicl ought to yield results of special in terest. This is the removal ot the sand from around the sphinx. Th sphinx occupies a position where tin nncteachment of the desert is most conspicuous. At the present day noth ing is to be seen of the animal except its head and its neck; but the old Egyptian monuments on which it i: figured show not only the entire bod) down to the paws, but also a large squAr; plinth beneath, covered witt ornaments. Since the time of the Grteks, perhaps ever since the reigr of Thothmes IV., this plinth has dis appeared beneath the sand, and its very existence had been forgotten. It is generally supposed that tht sptinx is hewn out of a large iso lated rock, which overlooked th pLn. But M. Maspero's researches surest that it is a work yet mor stv-jndous. He has proved that tht tji r.. occupies uio Cciicoi or an am phkhe.i'.er, lorming a kind of a rocky basin, the upper rim of whieh h about on a level with the head ot the animal. The walls of this amphithe ater, whenever visible, are cut by the hand ot man. It seems probable. therefore, that in the beginning there was a uniform surf.tce of rocks, ir which an artificial valley had beer excavated, so as to leave in the mid dle a block out of which the sphini was hually hewn. The excavations now being carried on will doubtless verify the existence of the plinth shown on the old paintings, and alsc furnish evidence, bv the ornamenta tion of tbe plinth, of the true age of the monument. M. Maspero is In clined to assign it to a very great antiquity possibly higher than in the early dynasties, i. e., than the first ie riod of Egyptian history. As the re sult of last winter's work, t'.ie sand round the sphink has already been lowered by about thirty meters. Indian Sword I Vats. The favorite swe:il for performing feats in India is the gauntlet-handled pita. The swordsman will first show tbe keenness of his weupon and hi command of its weight by cutting in two a leaf laid flat on the outstretched pu'.a of a friend, or by cutting a cloth hanging loose in the air. He will put one sword on each hand, aud so armed, springing from his feet on the bare ground, will throw somersaults back ward and forward, following each movement with a wondrously compli cated and simultaneous gyration of both swords round his head and body. He will have the naked sword, more than five feet long, double edged, sharp pointeJ, and keen as a razor, lashed from the back of his neck down his back, and will ayaln, from his naked feet, repeat the somersaults. Again, with sword and shield in bis nanus, lie will leap headforemost through the stretched outloopof a roe,beld by two men at the height of their heads, as a circus rider leaps through a paper hoop and light safely on his feet. Small wonder if the gaping crowd of specta tors applaud vociferously; that the car pet of the piucky athlete is soon cov ered with a harvest of small change, and that the recurring festivals, with these profitable opportunities, prevent the knowledge of the oil sword play from dying out. A Parisian Swindler. Xoblemea are so plentiful in Pans that the wonder is an adroit swindler should find it worth bis while to assume a title to which he has no right. Yet, savs the Far is correspondent of the London News, it appears that calling one s self a marquis, count or baron belts to obtain credit under false pre tences from the highest class of trades- mea. A certain jail bird named Grand, who was formerly a shop assistant, has, thanks to an aristocratic appearance, a good tailor, and his self-assumed title of Comte Maurice de Talhouet, been making quite a fortune a3 a swindler. The most curious fact in connection with his case was that jewelers and sil versmiths allowed him to carry away objects, of great value, to which, while buying relatively cheap trifles he took a fancy. They said, in giving evidence to the police magistrate, that had he aVced for larger credits they would probably have accorded them, he bad such an air of genuine wealth. He went abvit in an elegant brougham. In which ne carried off the articles ob- taned on the strength of his fine ap pearance and visiting cards. He was always making wedding presents to fair yung relatives, none of whic'i, of) cturse, have been paid for. The Comte : Xaurlce de Talhouet is low, as an old oueuuer, m ueicuiauu au jiaiaj, ocuu- tt i i . . - . t ,r ...... 1 ug his trial before the assize court, THE SOUTH AFRICAN'S POISONS Those Used by the Bushman in Kill log Game Curious Eficctft- There are several poisons In ust among the aboriginal tribes of South era Africa, but that extracted from i caterpillar and designated by the native; "mangue," is the most fatal. Tht pain which the victims suffer who havt been inoculated with it must be fearful indeed, but it is not long endured, for two or three hours geuerally put an end to the stricken animal's existence. Of course, this time is more or less pro tracted by ti e size of the wound, tht locality in which it is situated, and tht quantity of the venom used; for in stance, on one of the tributaries of the Zambesi, a lioness that had been wounded at sundown did not expire till tbe following daybreak, durinz all .TtVm fearfully the poor creature was suffer ing. On examination, this victim of the poisoned arrow only had a slight puncture beneath the skin close to the flank, but the firmness ot the hide had prevented the missile from falling from the wound. As the habits of semi-barbarous peo ple always possess great interest for me, I trust they do so for my readers, and I will therefore describe the two other poisons in use among the Bush people, and the manner ia which they are em ployed to serve their p'irpose. First, I advert to the juice of the euphorbia. This is a family of plants all alike for eign 10 tne i-uropean eye in appear ance, although not by any means strictly tropical. Some species possess much more poisonou3 matter than others, the most deadly being in appear ance like a crooked pole w ith a bunch of long, hard leaves decorating its sum mit. When employed by the native for the purpose above spoken of, it if collected in quantities ou the margin of a small vley or pond of water, when it is beaten between two stones till tht necessary quantity of the juice impreg nates the water. At night unconscious game, probably thirsting from the hours they have passed in the sun-di ied desert, come tc the vley to satisfy their craving foi drink, but scarcely have they done sc when they become intoxicated, and soon after lie down to sleep the sleei that knows no waking. It is strai;gt that this poison Is much more injuriou; to hoise, zebras, and quaggas, thau it is to cloven-footed or horned animals. In carnivorous anitrals, such as lions, leopards, dogs, etc., it does not product death, but only stupitles them for tht time being; at least such was my ob servation in reference to my dogs, when I knew they had drunk a quantity ol the diluted water. The third poison used by these most interesting natives, the Bushmen, if that taken from the glands of the Mamba cobra, or puff-adder, with which the points of their arrows art thickly cotted. Exposure appears to weaken thes-e reptiles' virus, for pre vious to any important hunt taking place, the barbs of the tiny weapons receive a fresh dressing of the baneful fluid. Game killed by all the above methods is eaten by the human fanillv. or carn.vora, without proiucing any il.' effects. An I'k'' llcptile. I want to show vou a new and wonderfully living thing that arrived at the garden recently," said Head Keeper llyrne, as he led the way t: the snake-house. The new arrival is about a-5 horrible and yet as dandi fled a looking fellow, as can be found ou the banks of the Schuylkill. He is in a glass case. It is the iguana, a species of the lizard family, ami w.is forwarded to the garden by the Com missioner or Fisheries of Massachu setts with the request that when he dies his body shall be sent to the Smith sonian Institution at Washington. Tht iguana does not look much like dying, although the only one of its kind that was ever previously brought to lU country died the day he was brought to the Zoological garden, some years ago. His neck and head are erect; he has a long tall like an alligator, and four paws which spread out H it upon the sand in his warm cage just like a lizard's feet. Sticking out from the center of his back, from the head all the way down toward the tail, Is a row of black bristles, which stand erect and d3 not look as though they would make a person comfortable who would have the temerity to sit down upon them. "The most wonderful thing about the iguana Is his appetite," said Mr. lSvrne. "lie eats the most delicate and choicest (lowers, and a white rose is the sweetest morsel that we have yet found for him. He eats it w.th avid ity." Mr. llyrne disappeared for a moment aud returned with a Jacque minot rose, which he inserted iu the cage. The curious looking reptile lowered his head, and with a quick motion seized the pretty Cower and swallowed it. Its eyes are intensely black and snappy, and from around tho mouth there hang curious pieces of .'-kin looking like plaited armor. The iguana is found in lirazil, and the epicures of that country are said tc highly prize its flanh for food. It is the toothsome terrapin of South Amer ica. When the iguana is stretched out he will probably measure Gve feet id length. There Is a pool of water in the cage, and he occasiobally takes a bath. octtiiiK Even with liis Tormentor A friend of mine has a rough-haired ollie, wise and exquisitely modeled. One evening a lady of the household, with whom he was a special favorite. stooped quietly, as he lay half asleep on the rug, aud placing her face close to his head, blew sharply with a slight ehout in one of his ears. T'ck ed and startled, he jumped up and moved off. seemingly somewhat offended. In the course of the evening tbe lady hap pened to be redlining in an easy-chair, when the collie was observed by some of the inmates to rise, and making a circuit, to move stealthily toward the chair, put his fore paws on one of the arms, and, placing his nose to the lady's ear, gave a sharp bark and in stantly bounded off. Man Is more than constitutions. Crows have been known to free themselves from parasites by standing over an ant-hill and allowing the ants to destroy the troublesome vermin. Water houss plants only when they require it. This may be from two to three times a week, depending on , . ... .,!, .,, i ,w uow luc ou" u'lca UUk " kUO MAZEPPA, Tbe Hero of the Circus Was a Real - Mao and He Sat for a Picture. j A portrait of Mazeppa. painted from life, has been discovered at Keif, in Southern Russia, and is engraved by the Russian academician, Demetry j Kowkosky. It will surprise nearly ; every one who hears that Mazeppa was ! a real living man, who could sit for his ; portrait he seems so like a purely mythical being, like Bellerophon or like one of the Amazons. He is associated in our minils altogether with the very unreal world of the circus ring, with bare-back riders and trained norss. Indeed, he may be said to resemble a ' centaur, for he and the fiery steed can hardly be thought of apart. Vet he was a real man, and cut quite a figure in this part of the world UoO years ago. This portrait probably represents not a andudduigoustache, but a grizzled swaggering youth with curl:ng locks warrior in Kussian uniform and deco- rated with military orders. John Stephanovitch Mazeppa was a Cossack, who made successful war ' upon the savage Tartars who desolated : Southern Russia, driving them back to the Caspian. This so recommended him to Peter the Great that he invited ; , I . , (. . . I. ; . 1 1 him with honors and gifts. Rut when Swedes under Charles XII, he be - trayed the Hussians and went over with . his followers to the enemy. Peter de- , feated them both and drove them into Turkish territory, where, fearing to fall Into the hands of his former relentless master, Mazeppa killed himself. He had ' before this hidden all the treasures which he bad amassed in his wars aud through gifts from those he had served iu caverns in tbe hills around Kief. ' The portrait now discovered was prob- ably hidden at this time. ' The incident by which alone we know him actually did occur. He was by ! birth a Cossack, but when very young he was sent to serve as a page in the court of the Polish king. There his beauty and bravery won him greaS favor, especially with the ladies. With one of them, the wife of a certain noble, he was supected of too great an intimacy, and the jealous husband in revenge .ordered hiu to be bound naked to the back of a wild horse that bad never been ridden. The horse was a Tartar horse, from the Stepis, and when loosed rushed madly back to his native country with the unwilling rider bound to his back. The Cossacks received the unhappy youth when nearly dead from exhaustion and ha grew up among them, remarkable for strength and bravery, Byron got his story out of Voltaire's "Lire of Charles XII," and worked it up into his dashing and attractive poem. A story so dramatic was at once seize 1 upon for adaptation to the stage, and it was pre sented here as early as 1823 by an Eng lishman named Hunter. lie also was a very handsome man and made a great Btlriu Hie town. The picture of Mazeppa boind to the horse's hick, whHi every body knows so well, was painted by Horace Vernet, one of the greatest of French artists. Vernet, of course, got his inspiration from Byron, to whom we all owe whatever knowledge we may have of ttte brilliant Cossack rider and soldier. i Mazeppa's real motive for betraying Peter are not certainly known. Tiie Poles, who look uponhiinas a Hero, always have maintained that he had in view the welfare of the Polish nation, and they point to the fact that he stip ulated with the Swellsh king for ti e independence of Poland. If this lie the truth it gives a certaiu dignity to the act, but the Uussiau story runs more in accordance with what other wise is known of him. They say that he was led to go over to the enemy by the blandishment of a certaiu Polish princess. Tuis would better corres pond with the rest of his adventurous career. Few men, however, who are simply adventurers, get their actions recorded by a historian like Voltaire, and celebrated by a poet like Byron, and painted by a master like Vernet, and get to be known by all school boys who speak the English language and all this, not from auy act of doing, but one of suffering merely. A better man might find it disageeable to be personated before the public by some of the persous who have represented Mazeppa m this city in recent time. What lJccame of the lVar. In on 3 oi tne suouruan towns there : lives a man who does his business in : Boston, and who has a great passion for cultivating new and choice varie ties of fruit on his pretty place. He took particular pains to get a pear tree of a rare sort of golden russet variety, ' and planted and nursed it with Infinite solicitude. By and by it got ready to bear. It blossomed last spring with fair profusion, but it bore much to the disappointment of its owner, but a single pear. That one pear, however, ' grew to be a splendid specimen, and was prized ia proportion to its rarity. The owner of the tree was very anx ious that it should mature and rleu. But he had a small boy, Charley bj name, who looked upon t le pear, as the boy's father bad observed, with covet ous eyes. So the father laid his ban I on the boy's shoulder one day aud said; "See here, Charley, don't you ever ; pick that pear. If you do I shall pun-1 Ish you most severely." ! Charley promised faithfully that he wouldn't, and the father waited a few day's longer for the iar to ripen. But the very next day, when he came home, tbe pear was gone. He took his boy and led bim to ihe tree. ; "Did you pick that year, Charley?" "No, sir; truly I didn't pick It." " You didn't! And what do you sup pose became of iff"' -I-I-I " "Y'ou what?" "I shinned up the tree and eat it, 1 papa, but I didn't pick it!" The father looked up into the tree and saw that the stem of the pear still hung to its branch. The boy's story was true. lie had climbed the tree and lain on his back on a large limb under-! neath the pear, and had eaten it from ' the stem. But he hadn't pickel itl ! Origin of the Name Campbell. The Cainpliells, as are all the great nobility of the three llritish kingdoms, : are of French, Norman or Frt.-nch-An-genne origin. The founder of the family was a BeaucliHinp, a Norman from Itouen, who followed William the Conqueror to whom William gave large estates in England. In the Thirteenth century it was customary among the nobility to give Latin names to their lata tea NEWS IX BRIEF California has earthquake insur- ance companies. During the year ending last June nine Oregouians died aged 100. Two of the thrones of the last Na poleon are for sale in France at 5100 each. Succi, the Italian faster, completed his task of living thirty days without food. Coal has been discovered on the Sabiuas river by the Southern Pacilic people. Country po.stir.en ia France are be ing supplied by the government with tricycles. The iron works at I.e Cruit. France, burned recently, causing a loss of S2J0,0UU , HUTfUOO people have bee, Cilice the creation of the world a killed by , earthquakes. Nuiall-pox has become epidemic in Testd, Hungary, and numerous deaths are reported, The deficit in tho French budget this year is expected to amount to 71, 000,000 francs. Two hundred si.ee; butchers of "IC' . f" ! for teu cents ', The ('hiricahua Apa.dies have been nmi-n in run iiKinon, near .Au gustine, I'U, and ;irj held as prisoners. The newest weapon of war is an eh ctrlc sword. Kun a fnema:i through with it and death comes from the shock. The Italian goveniuient has re solved to enforce existing laws, which will result in tht; ex;u'. :i of all Jesu its from Italy. The largest ll.it in the wor'i 1 is sit uated on the comer of Mott and Eliza beth streets. New Ycrk, and affords a home fur 1,5'XI fo; l-'. A beautiful custom is .-aid to nre- vail with the natives of Java. A lather when his child is l orn, plants a tree, an-i thus s!;,'iia;:zfs the birth. Sweet lemons :ire a favorite Mexi can dainty. They are the shape, color and s:. of tii-- ! ai ins or commerce but are swett r than b.iii u:a ;. An Arizona pa r offers a priz- of a demijohn oi gin to any one who will furnish it with a correct list of the . twenty w rst nan in the town. Every morning the a-.'e-l president of William and Mary College, in Vir ginia, rings the college bell and, though no one responds, the coll -ge no;eii ami still retains its charter. The ancient K.jmans werrf by no ' means powerful ou the sea, aiid their navy w:-.v by no means njual t their army. The Mediterranean was the only sea they wished to command. It is mentioned as a cuiiom fact that a line building stono is imported from Ireland for use in New York city. It comes from liallinnsloe, at Counaiight, County It'srornmon. The World, following in I.e v.mKo of the Press and Lnu keri oefcer, has interviewed various New York mer chants and manufacturers and iinds a steady improvement m busine-s along , the entire iine. A good Cremona violin has tifty e X'ht divisions. The back, neck, sides and cire'es are of sycamore; the belly, la.-e bar. sounding and s:x blocks of deal; the linger board and tailpiece of ebony. llati'l-shave I shingle.- mile I by the eccentric preacher, I.ori nz j Dow, upon a roof in MontviMe, Conn., sixty mx years ago, are said to be as sound as when first put dawn, although the house itself is much the worse for wear. Ti e vestal virgins were memlien of a Komaii sisterhood who dedicated them -t Ives unih r a vow of cha.-t;ty to the service (.f the godde-s Vesta, In whose temple they m.ni-tered as priest evirs, and Wat -he 1 hy day and night th-s.icicd f.ie ke; l I n; ning upon her aitar. For the in s l ii.e tree i f Texas it is c!aim-d that, tie- h.uk y;t- ds in ire tan nin thaa that of re I oak; that the wood is good for cabin, t W )ik a:id is excel lent for fence posts and ties; that ttie iean which the tree produces in abun dance is excellent food for btock; and that its gum makes as go-a! a mucilags as gum arable, Uenvenite, the country seat of Hamilton S. Fletcher, about six miles from Washington, K ippahannock coun ty, Virginia, was recently the scene of the marriage in which the groom and the bride have lven betroth-tl since the seventh birthday of the bride. To kill one fly in March is estima ted to 1 as irood a work as killing 8, lo'l.mxt In August, the increase and multiplications of the fly population be ing figured as follows: One l!y on the Joth of March is represented bv 2MJ on the tM'.h of April, by 'J,rirj on 'the 23th of May, by 27.'"p'',oti ,m the 21 of July and by !-,loo w,1'' oathe Sth of August. A gentleman who has made a sptcial study of rats savs a rat, by na ture is compelle 1 to gnaw; if he does not his teeth grow so rapidly that his jaws become locked. lie n one of the most in rvous, cunning and sensitive of creatures, and when cornered is very vicious. They are easily alarmed by rumbling or jarring founds. Washing day was by no means very exhausting in the reigns of the Tudors in England. In one grand house, w here there were more than 'ft p -rsiiu ami City strangers daiiy, there were nine table cloths and no sheets at all, and the washing biil for the whole 3 ear was cnly forty shillings, including the charge for cleansing the linen be longing to the chapel. A curious spring eleven miles from Moortiehl, W. Va.,tl)ws from July 1 to August 31, and at no other time, every year. The flow of water only lasts fifteen minutes at a time, when it recedes with a rushing nois back into the hills and remains dry fifteen min utes, when the Water will again rush out in a stream sutiiclently large to turn aB ordinary mill-wheel. The water conlf 9 rushing under the ground like a uistani. winu siorrn. Si'd of copier usually r-garded as very poisonous have been administered by a French chemist to dogss and rab bits without serious effects, either from large doses or from a long-continued regular use of the substance. 77i silicified forest of Arizona, known ai Chalcedony Park, covers 1,000 acres, and consists of fallen trees which have become buried and silicified into agate and jaser. It is the most beau t. fully colored siliciiled wood in the world, being every ima;inab'.a shade of red, brown and green.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers