if M rrr A A B.P. SOHWEIEK, . THZ OOaZTlTUTlOI THE TUT 031 UH THE nrOlOElfZIT 01 THZ L1WI. Editor and Proprietor. VOl,. XI.I. M IFF LINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. MARCH 2, 1887. NO. 10 Dream luff. I dreamed e two were friends again As io tlie Jays of yore And H 'ife heM of bli8S or paln Came ' k to c,e OLce more , Your laufilirer, ringics clear and aweet, Yonr dark e y' tender beam, The ecfco of voar footfalls fleet, Were in that lurry dream. ntre was a summer in lore" laud, The sk WM skles of J una" While ro blushed on either band, Benea:a a joldeu moon ; And all the sadness of the yean". The frowns no smile could fclot, With bitter doubts, the cruel fears, Were in that dream fursot. I dreamed we two were friends again", And net my dream to song. So vou ui iTlit listen to the strain That sought you "mid the thronj; Tba- vou aTith! It--', rch:iuce niiht si;;b. W hilst idle tears would start. To feel it with te Ia-t good-bye Ofonepoortaithlu! heart. I dreamed we two w. re friends ajrain Alas 1 'twas but a dreani, That tied hen o'er my window-pane Awoie the iirst red Warn, Ohl as it brightened on my sight, And trended o'er t he rioor. I whispered ; "Vanish, harry lire. For I would dream once more. THE KK0KE.X SASH. Tie hands of tlie little French c!ock on the Lbrary mantel at Brcoksrile Grance ivii!teJ to three o'clock; and the prettv mistress of the Grange, Mrs. George Gentry, who bad been ul'y drumming on the piano, arose, w ith a sigh, and walked to the great window overlooking the strip of lawn which stretched away toward the public road. Although niiisummer, the tempera tore for the closed room was very cool and comfortable. Mr?, Gentry leaned against tlie win dow, resting her round face on the palm of her th; ly hand, and sightd again. For the tirst time in ber married life, she wis eutire'.y alone at the Grange. Iler husband did business in the city, reaching home lu time for a six o'clock dinner. That morning, arter breasfast. Mat tie, the cook and maid-;u-all-ork, bad asked permission to vis;t her sister, who lived about ten miles distant. the promised to return before night, and Michael, the hired man, who bad just returned from the station, a'ter anvir.g his employer to the train, left his horse hari.esed, for there was no railroad communication with Elm wood, mil Muttie's request that be be al lowed to drive her over and bring ber fcack tad been granted. By nine o'clock, Mattie had finished the morning hoe'.io'.d duties and was dressed, ready for the journey. "You are sure you won't be loneiy here all by yourself, Miss L;l?" she asked, pausing by the library dor, radiantiv gorgeous ia her b;-st apparel. "Why should I, you silly girl?-' asked Mrs. Ger.ity, with a merry laugh. "I'll find enoufeh to keep uie busy wtiile you are away, what with the Lirds, tee Cowers aud toy music. The days are long now, aud Mr. Gentry will be home before dark, so you needn't Lurry back, for it's not often that you have a holiday. When I hear the train whistle at Glen Haven, I'll walk down to the station and meet him. And Mattie,"' she continued, as the girl was turning away, "la sure I and have Michael stop at Mr. HIsen"s, the carpenter, as you go through the Tillage. Ak him to come over to-d;.y , tad fix the large library window. The weight-cords are broken." This commission Mattie promised faithfully to execute, and when Mrs. j Gentry returned to her dustim. she heard the rattle of the carria.-e-wlieils is they rolled away. She felt a little lonely at first, but the day was bright au4 beautiful, and It was high noon before she knew it She ate a dainty lunch, aud no, after an hour's practice at the piano, a feeling of vague umest why, she knew not tilled her heart. The afternoon shadows were creeping across the lawn, and the green swaid looked very Inviting. She was about to raise the sash t look out, when she recollected that Carpenter l'llsenhal not jet fixed it, so she went out through the had. As she paused for a minute on the piazza, to Inhale the fragrance from the honeysuckles which climbed over the Porch, a small boy, whom the identilied a the sou of the stition agent, who wag also the telegraph oieiator, walked slowly up the carriage-road. As he approached Mrs. Gentrv noticed that he had a j aper in bis hand", and she waikel hurriediy down to meet him. "Sjuiethiiig for rue, Tommy?"' she Bjea, noidii.g out her band. j "Yes, n.a'am," answered the young JWr.duck'.n,' his heal, and extendin I his brown hand, in the lingers or whicli I was clutched a telegram. i Mrs. Gentry seiz-d the message, and j tore open the envelope with teverisli I mpatieuce. I It was trom l er husband, and read as follows: ',Pe'ail'e'l on business until mid ht. You wi;l Ond package iu safe --yalualle-miist have it. Send Michael-tive-forty train." "Is there an answer, ma'am?" asked Tommy Sloan. Mrs. Gentry hesitated before reply ing, and thea UddiDjr Toir.mv await Mr, hurried into the library and wrote tneasage, explaining the true state of affairs. She folded the paper, aud bidding we urch:n be careful and not lose it, gave him a Mjver quarter for his trou J ' aud watched biru as he skipped 4ownUiecw-.iage.road. oe did not m.tice the slouching (1 "feof a wan who emerged from the woods on the oilier side or the public ro1, as Tommy came out of the uis, and, busy with ber flowers, jaued to hear a si lied cry that broke npon the drowsy afternoon timet. w , ried t0 contented and happy, out sbe couM not be)p think,nj; of tbe fage of bonds which her husband, the hurry or his departure, bad for gotten. hltu, 8lie Gllar,y reentered tbe .Mie t00k the key to t,ie a wuicn lay on a shelf iu her husband's ueet, an,i luckeJ jt unaer a corner the carpet. awfi ?e"rousD wore off after ln & but Tbu the suu to rest, thB fi,?night sllauos began to fall, the feeling returned again. huT-M IT tee1 a,j0,,t the nouse. ck- ihutters n-f,8'fud Irrln 811 tae lTbrarv iU.en she turned to the SSl d 'Slitinw the study-lamp, WMted a book and tried to lead. returT.T1''1 get m? tnm, aud EST u.en-t.birty lraiD'" 8!,e tooLah fears, but I can't help it. What woman woull not be nervous alone. with all that money in the house, ai d the country overrun with tramps? Michael will return shortly, though, and its cozy and pleasant here." Iler eyes sought the printed page be fore her; but he started at every noise, and finally dropping the book, began to pace hurriedly up and down the room. The seven-thirty train had come and gone, and ber husband had evidently stopped over in the city. She longed to hear the sound of tbe carriage wheels and honest Michael's gruff voice; but the minutes lengthened into hours, and the clock chimed ten, finding her still alone. As the silvery notes died away, a slight noise in the hall caused her to start and face the door. The eight that met her eves palsied i tier limbs and frczj the scream that started to her lips. A stout, roughly-dressed man. with a black mask tied over his face, stood In the doorway confronting her. Be "ore she could move or cry out, he darted forward, aud seizing her wrists, hissei in her ear: "Key to the safe, ma'am; give it to me, and don't make a cry, if you value your lifel" His brutal touch awakened her to a senre of her danger, and a terrified scream rang through tlie house. Ha!" be cried. "None of that!" and one broad hand was placed over her mouth, BtiOing further outcry. She ?trug ; led in his gratp; but her puuy strengili was no match for his. Quickly ud deftly he bound her wrists and ankles, fashioned a rude gag, thrust it in her mouth, and threw her, trembling, upon a couch. Then, after an examination of the safe, tbe housebreaker began to search the rcoai for the key. He examined every nook and corner; uui ne could not hnd It. His failure to do so angered him. "Mie has hid it somewhere!", he growled. And he turned to his helpless victim, with a fierce Are in his eyes. "Where's that key?" he cried, shak ing her roughly. But the gag prevented her from an sweiing, if she bad been so inclined; aud when bis coarse fingers touched her cheek and be removed the gag, a moan of fear aud horror arose from her heart, and a deadly faintness came over ber. The ruffian noticed this, and ran to tLe library window. "It's closern'sa dungeon here," he w ittered, at the same time endeavor ing to raise the lower sasa of the win dow. Failing in this, he attempted to lower the upper one, which also resisted his effoits. He finally discovered that a broom stick had been temporarily placed so that b.ith Bashes were held rigid. With a muttered curse, he reached up and pulled out the stick. To do this, he was obliged to stand on tiptoe, supporting himseif by clasp ing the top of tha lower sash with bis d Isengagetl hand. The suddenness with which the heavy upper sash fell when the stick was removed so startled him that he involuntarily clutched the lower frame with both hands. His eight fingers were caught between the two sashes as in a vice, and a howl of rge and pain escaped him. He kicked savagely, breaking tbe glass, and turning bis head, begged piteously to be released. The uproar aroused Mrs. Gentry, and her tentler heart went out in pity to the struggling, tortured wretch. She tried to loosen the cords which bound her, but his skillful fingers had drawn them too tightly. And when he renewed his pleading cries she shook her head and answered: "I can't. Vou have bound my wrists and ankles so tight'y that I can't move." Then the villain, finding that his struggles to release himself only in creased the horrible pains that shot through his arms, vented his rage in a torrent of fierce profanity. He was cursing and whining when the door-bell rang, and Mrs. Gentry uttered a cry of thanksgiving. It rang again, louder than before; then she heard footsteps passing around to the rear of the house. 1'ersently they sounded in the kitchen, and she heard her husband's voice, call.ng.. "Lily! where are you?" "Here! here!" she shouted, with all the strength of her lungs. And then, overcome by the terrible strain through which she had passed, she fainted dead away. I:t an instant George Gentry burst into the room, and with one hasty glance took in tbe situation. li s first care was for his wife, who revived when her bonds were cut away and some cold water was dashed m her face. She was just stammering out ber story, when Michael who had been detained by the breaking of tbe car nage, drove up with Mattie. The robber was half dead when they released him. His hands were in a horrible condi tion, the bones of the ringers having been crushed between the sashes. He made no resistance, and while Michael hurried to the village for a constable, sat sullenly on the couch, closely guarded by the master of the Grange. When Michael returned, John Sloan, the station agent, came with him. "I might have known that something was wrong, Mr. Gentry," he said, when Tommy, who fetched your tele gram to Mrs. Gentry, did not come back lie asked me this afternoon for permission to go to his cousin's, on the other side of the village; and I told him If there was no answer to the telegram he could keep right on. He was hurry ing back to the station with the an swer that Mrs. Gentry wrote, when this brute leaped out of the woods, gagged him, tied him hand and foot, aud took the telegram. He managed to get the gag out of his mouth, and when Michael drove by on his way to the village, called to him." The wounded robber, who proved to be an old offender Just out of prison, recovered from his wounds, but his hands were crippled for life, and he went back to the prison for a long term of vears. The next morning, Carpenter Tilsen put in an appearance, ready to repair the damaged window. "I'd 'a come over yisterday, Mister Gentry," he said apologetically, "but I cut my thumb bad with a pesky old adze, when I was hewin out floor tim ber for Squire Peters' barn, and it bled so bad tLat " "I'm glad you didn't come," cried George, fervently. And he told tbe astonished carpenter how the window had saved him a large sum of money, perhaps his wife's life, and been instrumental in capturing a desperate burglar. The Geutrys still live at Iirookslde Grange but Mrs. Gentry Is never left alone. coi rtTsnips op biiids. XatmraliKt Holder" Very Interest in Collect or Facts. In soma of the African tribes when marriage is proposed by the dusky lover the coy maiden puts him through a course of physical sprouts that is considered a test of his capabilities as t' e protector and supporter of a family. He appears before her and her friends and goes through a series of ground and lofty tumbling that would do credit to a professional athlete leaps into the air, stildss along to show his walking powers, and throws his llmls this way and that to show the develop ment of muscles; finally, if be makes a good exhibition, he is accepted, and ever afterward the woman does all the hard work, the groom having demon strated however, that he can do it If pushed to the walL Among the cranes especially, the sandhill cranes, almost exactly the same thing can be seen in the mating season, and if any one can approach a flock at this time they will be repaid by a most remarkable sight a veritable bird circus. A relative of mine had a large marsh upon his estate, and here the great birds made their summer home; building curious nests there and rearing their young. The marsh was surrounded by high grass, and it was his practice to creep through and watch tne birds unobserved. The antics they went through would be impossible to describe now they would caper along in pairs, stepping daintly with the win ning gait of the Ideal exquisite, lifting their feathers or wings, taking short steps aud gradually working themselves up to a bird rrenzy of excitement, when they would leap into the air and over each other's backs, taking short runs, this way and that, all for the edi fication of the females standing by, and finally, after a series of these exhibi tions, the different birds selected their mates. I Among the birds of the western ' hemisphere the cock of the rock ranks next to the crane in tbe strangeness of its evolutions. The bird Is confined to South America and Is about the size of a small pigeon; has a bright orange web in the male, with a plumelike ar rangement on the head. It is a proud bird, principally building it) nest in rocky places net frequented by man. At the commencement of the breeding season a party of birds numbering from ten to twenty, assemble, and selecting a clear space among the rocks form a ring or circle, facing inward. Xow a small bird takes its place in tbe centre and begins to hop about, tosj its head, life Its wings and go through all the strange movements possible that appear to be watched with great Interest by ths rest. When the performer is thor oughly exhausted be retires to tbe cir cle aud another bird enters the ring, and so on, until all have been put through their paces, when the pairs probably make their selection. Often the birds aro so exhausted after the dances that they can hardly fly, lying panting on tbe rocks. In England tbe courtship of the great English bustard ia a rare sight, the magnificent creature performing most of its love antics In the air, making great swoops downward, almost touch ing the ground, then rising aloft to hover over its mate, uttering a peculiar cry, then alighting and vying with the turkey in its proud aspect. Tbe great U.is Bengaliensis struts about like a peacock, humming the while in a cur: umiuing uio wmic m tui.- ious series of notes, supposed to be the dulcet tones addressed to the female bird. The courtship of the humming bird Is a particularly arduous operation, the lover having to fight his way to nuptial life. Several species of these little gems are comman in my doorway and are j engaged in a continual warfare with each other; often the engagement is carried on with such vigor that the birds are injured. A friend near by tells me that in observing these con tests she is positive that at times the male when finding that he is being worsted feigns death, and drops to tbe eround. In fact, plays possum, to es cape, aud carries it to sucu an extent that she has gone out and picked the l bird ud and brought it into the house, where it soon recovered. There is one in South America known as Florisuga mellivor that performs some curious antics during the court ship season. It resembles some gor geous insect as it darts through the air, its head and neck being a beautiful metallic b ue with a border of white, other portions being a rich metallic green. The tail, which is pure white, can be expanded so as to form a semi circle, and when in tbe air with th9 tail feathers outstretched it looks as though it were resting on a twig. For several moments tbe little creature will remain literally suspended in the air with this curious cross piece vibratinj a singular mode of courtship. In tbe water birds we find many cur ious courtships, especially in the alba tross, that Is a most devoted lover and . ... i t- A . i. mate, isven wnen uie iemaie is ou mo nest be will stand by, and go through 1 the most extravagant motions ana uttering curious shrieks, which sound like laughter, in return for which the female gently caresses him with her bilL The nest of this bird resembles that of some flamingoes, being about two feet in height and ten inches in diameter, the top falling over the edges sj that when deserted by the birds they fYirm nnvenient seats, and are so used by sailors who hunt the bird to secure tbe leg bones ior pipe oujuia. Near the borders of southern Cali fornia is found a bird called the sunate that has a strange courtship. It Is about tne size of a magpie. During tbe mating season four or five birds collect together and seem to vie with each other in the extravagance of their post uringwooing now in rows, now sin gle, in a regular dance, and by way of music uttering loud, discordant squawks. Their long tails are lifted high in the air during this perform ance, and their entire behavior is re markable In the extreme. There is hardly a family of birds but what we find has some such peculiarity, leading to the conclusion that there are certain traits that are yery much alike in all forms, from man downward. Good company and good conversation are the very sinews of virtue. The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions, A MCCII-USED PKOXOCW Little "I" as an Over-Worked Word. A recent mmler of the London Queen contains an article on "The First Person Singular." The wtiter asserts, and without doubt tbe asser tion is well grounded, that tbe letter is tbe boundary of the whole world of sensation, and tbe mirror wherein are reflected all outside phe nomena. We live and think and understand by Its realization, and through its power of absorption we get a glimpse of the "I" of others. It Is the Alpha and Omega of all specu lation the sole beacon of light in the midst of universal darknes?. In it all nature is focused and all life repre sented. . . . "What the !' doe- not know has no existence for man." "What the eye does not see the heart does not crave," and "What the !' does not know ths mind cannot ac cept," are truism. That which some organisms feel and believe are non-ex latent for others. A person who has always been blind can have no percep tion of color, a deaf person no idea of harmony. This is the metaphysical aspect of "J." The "I" of everyday life is in some persons tbe most objec tionable sign-post ever set up In the highway of life. It meets one at every turn and seems to obstruct the way to every other domain. What 1 think and w hat I do where I have been and what I have seen, is tbe string on which is sounded tbe everlasting mono chord of egotism; and it never occurs to those self-contained harpists that others may weary of ths sameness of their tune. Kor do they think that any one has known aught of which they themselves have been ignorant until now. They discover things which have been public property for centuries, even to facts of Greek and Roman history. If they go over to Paris for the first time they discover Paris, and give their neigh bors who have lived there for some years the benefit of their experiences in the ca fes, and news of the conduct of tbe crowds in the streets, and the 'juate made at the doors of the theatres, if they take up a new study they in struct tbe expert if they have adopted a new fad they convert the bierophaut or It may be set forth as incontro vertible the superficial reasons why ' such and such a fact should be accepted j to one who has goi e down to tbe roots , and rejected after profound examina tion. These intellectual egotists never discriminate. Their "1" dominates their judgment, and vhat they bear and learn, if it strikes their fancy, they hold fast to, sure that their great expansive "1" cannot be de ceived, and that they have no need of caution. The ranks of the superstit ious are i ecru ted from those of the intellectual egotists, and the pwple , who accept as gospel every folly ad jut are those who aie so sure of themselves that they take no precaution agaiust blundering. To be sure among the wallowers of quackiag-flucka are thi absolutely simple and non-egotistical. , But their fault is folly, not presump tion want of proir self-assertion not too much arrogance. ! The writer continues: People who live in their own "1" are now prone to consider themselves slighted, now eager to accept as supreme honor the com- ; mones, courtesies and the smallest civ- : ilities. Everything unusual they take as something' done in their honor; and things which have no kind of reference to themselves taev accept as their as signed homage. This bad an illustra tion of a sort when Cato the younger txk tbe demonstrations of respect, and greeting mane by the Antiochians as witnesses bore to his own deseivin?. It was nothing of the kind. The what we should now call them Deputation . fV,r l)mnfrliis. I'nmin'i 'froi),4m.jn. H ratiwmt fw nnthin in their eyes. We say this was an lllu- stration of a sort, for Cato the younger was by no means an egotist, and the mistake was not unnatural. And, talk in? of ancient matters, it was Plut arch's father who first gave that most f j , against egotism in speech bidding his famous son always j say "we went" we saw" "we did" . even when his colleague should chance to be absent; and never to push for ward that obtrusive "I," which some people seem to think the note of admi ration of the universe. "I" has also become a universal form of locution. Young girls who travel gre e t0 disjain tUe modesty of the collective uronoun "we" and from collective pronoun "we" and from their conversation it might be gleaned that they spend their lives in going about the world alone and unattended. It Is not a nice form of speech, but it belongs to the intense individualism of tbe times. Self-assertion is the fashion, but It wl'l pass away if we wait in pa tience. This selt-sustained worship of ! the "1" has received many a hard j knock from poet and philosopher; yet it still survives. "Sic volo, sic jubeo" j stands as a kind of monumental warn- iug in the way of arrogant speech; and , "I am Sir Oracle, and when I ope my lips let no dog bark" Is a phrase which ; we all know by heart, and of which i many of us have bad occasion to make 'the application. j Sir Philip Sidney says: "Thero is . nothing sooner overthrows a weak head than opinion of authority, like too strong liquor in a frail glass." So that. as the "world is notning Dut trouble." according to Montaigne, these opinions of authority that overthrow the weak heads are not always those which ought to carry most weight. "I hardly ever yet saw tbe man who did not prate too much and speak too little," the old French humoristic phllosspher goes on to say; and bis sarcasm touches, of all men, those who worship their own "I," and believe in themselves rather than in science, by which we mean ab- solute knowledge. "I'radciinan'a Promise. "ir there is anything on earth more unreliable than a tradesman's promise I'd like to know what it is!" Thus growled my neighbor. His car riage bad been sent to the shop for re pairs. The distinct promise had been made that he should have it, first, "on Thursday;" but it was ' not done;" then on S iturday sure;" but it was not done; then ou "Wednesday night, and you may bet on that;" but here it was Friday forenoon and the gentle, man had again returned, iu a small rage, wdhout his favorite vehic!e. This, is no uncommon experience with us all. We have each suffered thus at the hands of the butcher, the baker, aud the cand.estick maker. It is exasperating. It often occasions the utmost inconvenience and small suffer ing, to Bay the least. 13 common is this sort of thing with tr adesmen's promises that we all learn to discount their agreements as to jobs to be fin ished; we allow them three days ol grace to make sure. We do not men tally expect many of them to say one thbg an d do another. This Is falsehood, except that it Is not done to deceive us deliberately, as a rule, but to get rid of us, to secure the job and get us out ot the shop. To be charitable, a trades man's promise usually means, "as soon as milts my best convenience. I am at work all the time. I am Interested to gel this done and collect my bill as soon as possible. I will use due diligence. Do not take your work to my compe titor over tbe way." Xow, this being the exact truth, why not say so? That would be honest and kind. Is it not worth a man's ilA fn nlnravft anaalr iiiQt what tiA " -r- j.. - - .. i:mus? In the long run, would not th? customer be better pleased and nf jM likely to stick? Is it pleasant for a tradesman to realize that he is even thu unwitting occision of anger and n'sureless small sinfulness in the ir ritated tempers of various people? And if one habitually speaks meaningless promises, how can he be sure that the gravest misfortune of disappointment ma not result to somebody? The hack driver must keep his word, for this train will not wait. The druggist must do as he agrees, for the medicine carries life and death; it will not do to follow tbe butcher's fashion promise "to have It at the door at ten o'clock" aud not deliver it till noon. The en gineer must be on time. There are many of us who must woik up to the clock or not work at all. Why not the ordinary tailor, shoemaker, plumber, carriage maker and marketman? There are two sides to this question, to be sure. The machinery may break down; a journeyman. workman may be sick; goods may be out of stock; Injury may chance to the job when half fin ished; there may bs a birth or death iu the family. Under such circumstances a man of tine sense of houor would, one might suppose, bethink him promptly of the promise and send an explanation. Surely that would not cost much; and if it were impossible, for any reason. then a customer ought to have the de cency to take the explanation when be could get it. But in common experi ence we get all sorts of excuses except honest ones. It is laughable, the transparent frauds that are offered us by tbe way of excuse. Tbe imperturbable face which Is put on, the subterfuges that are used, when we call according to agreement, and the work is not done ay not say frankly, "I have not got at it?" Ah, the blessed truth! It is the easiest thb'.g in the world to honey comb our veracity by such small lying till there Is no solid truth in us. It a tradesman were the soul of honor be would use all customers alike. The meanest trick Is to prefer one cus toaner's work to another's, after the liromite has been m ule to the former, l'nere Is nothing more exasperating than that. Yes, there is It is to have tbeiecond comer ask that bis work ui:.y be donefirst. "This should ixf con sidered an lniult to the workman. That it is not considered Insulting is a severe reflection upon the supposed elasticity of a workman's promise. There are meu who will in au instant fracture their promise to a poor cus tomer, or a stranger, or one whose trade is limited, to please a "big fel 1 .w." It may be ot jected that the large order is more important, and should be treated accordingly. True enough, but then you should prom se the small job according say frankly what you intend to do. The simple truth is what I am plea ling for. Every man is then fre to leave his job c r not, as he pleases. We bear so much about one-priced shops? How little we hear abjut one-promise shops. For my part. 1 would sooner be robbed of my dollar than my day. My time is more than money to me. Tbe vexation of a dis appointment is full as sore as the loss of a cent or two. I am not writing to men and women who have tbe insolence to propose that their work take prece dence over other. If I were, I should have to search tbe dictionary to Ond an adjective hot enough to properly ex press my Impatience with such small aristocracy. I am reminded that we all make promises of duties to be done. We are not all tradesmen, in the technical sense; but we are all under more ox less obligations to society. The public speaker, who, for trivial cause, disap points an audience, deserves a kick; it is a contemptible sort ot robbery of miny people. The lawyer, proverbial necromancer with promises, what worlds of gnashing chagrin have waited on his empty promises. Clergymen have been known to promise more than they could perform. It is unreason able to single out any class or toilers The truth is, the snare of promising is the putting it in the shaie of au excuse that is, to get rid of tbe person for the time being. Another trap is our own Ig lorance or indecision of mind. To promise, to make an engagement for the sake of holding it, while we make up our mind whether we can cr wish to attempt the task, is a common fault among professional people. It is a detestable practice. It causes a world of inconvenience, in its way. Let us say, aud what we say let us do as we say, it we die for it. Great Men of Welsh Descent. Bichard Henry was from a Welsh family. Boger Williams was born in Wales iu UOX Daniel Webster was descended from the Welsh on his mother's side. William Penn, the founder of Penn sylvania, was of Welsh extraction. Chief Justice John Marshall, the first to expound tne constitution, was the giandsou of a native ot Wales. Taoinas Jefferson's ancestors came from the foot of Mt s.nowden, Wales, lis often boasted of bis WeWi blood. Tlumas Itogera. Stephen Hopkins, John Aldeu and John Howlaud. who came over in the Mayflower, were all of Welsh origin. Gen. W ashington's family associa tions were principally with the de sceudents or tbe Welsh. His wife Martha was the granddaughter of a Welshman. E ghleen signets of the Declaration of Independence were of Welsh de sceut; John Adams, Stmuel Adams, Stephen Hopkins. William Williams, William Floyd, Franc s Lewis; Ijewifj Morris, Francis Hopklnson, BoberT Morris, George Clymer. John Morion. John Penn, Arthur M d l'.eton. Mu ton ! Gwinnett, Thomas Jefferson, Bei'j uiiip 1 Harrison. Itichard Henry Lee and Francis Henrv LightfoJt lyo. I It is a goo 1 thing to learn caution by the niisfcitune of others. MEXICAN GIRLS. How tbe Budding Senoritaa of Oar btstcr ltepablic Are fcalucated, Tbe scholastic course of a Mexican girl of aristocratic family is finished before she is fifteen, at which age she Is considered "marriageable." The wife of General Santa Anna was wedded to that wily ruler whom Amer icans reynember as "the Butcher of the Alamo," when only thirteen and nu merous brides in these later days are scarcely older. It must be remembered, however, that girls mature early in the tropica and in corresponding ratio grow old much sooner than in the colder .North. Though Mexico abounds In single women of mature age, one never hears of "an old maid," for to remain forever unmarried entails no such stigma here as attaches to nn mated women ot other lands. If her lonely condition Is alluded to by these polite people, they speak .ot ber with some kindly phrase indicating that "la protraci'ta" (the poor, dear thing) has been "hard to please." The custom of engaging accomplished foreign governesses or native tutors to instruct young girls at home is gaining ground among wealthy families in Mexico, because to send a budding senorlta. over ten years of age, to a day-school even in the family carri age, accompanied by a maid who never loses sight of her till she is safely re. turned to the parental casn is looked upon as an alarming Btretch of the pro prieties. In the days of conventual institutions, the daughters of well-to-do parents were usually placed in charge of the gentle sisterhood, gener ally entering tbe convent schools at an early age and remaining until old enough to marry. Since the banish ment of nuns and monks from Mexico, a great many private schools and semi naries have been established, wherein girls are duly "finished" according to Mexican ideas. The acme of their ac complishment Is to become good lin guists and excellent musicians and to acquire a smattering ot history and general literature, placing them about on a par with the correspondltff class in France and Spain. But ufl-y are never cultured to the Bostonian point in tbe classics or occult sciences, their simple acquirements being such as ihine to best advantage in the home :ircles. Mexican ladies of high degree are never educated with a view to utilizing their accomplishments for gaining a livelihood in any possible reverse of fortune, for under no circumstances are they expected to assist in their own support. The old Spanish custom which obliges gentlemen to provide for all their destitute female relatives and lo shield them absolutely from contact with tbe world, still prevails among the upper classes, notwithstanding the fact that nearly a century of foreign wars and internal revolutions have made it a difficult task In many instan jes and forever debarred from niatri aiony the scions of proud but impover ished bouses. As a rule, puter familias does not en- xmrage much reading of books ex- :ept of a religious character among the women of his flock, and certainly net the general run of newspapers luch as aie found in every Northern family. He believes not only that "a little knowledge is a dangerous tns,"' lad might lead to Mat pernicious "strong-mindedness" which be lm- izines afflicts most ladtes in tbe United States but that literally "ignorance is bliss" iu their appointed sphere If not married at once when escaped from school restraints, sometimes the mother 3r some elderly femal t relative under takes to instruct tbe daughter in three domestic duties which matrimony en tails, because whether rich or poor on the day of her marriage she will go to a borne of her own, which the ex pectant bridegroom must previously prepare. To that end she is taught to prepare delicacies for the sick and re freshing medicinal drinks, to make luiciet, jellies and dainty deserts; and occasionally by way ot practice, is given for a season the entire manage ment of her father's household. I have heard of cases where she has even ordered all the provisions, paid the servants, provided rations for the car riage horses and looked over the coach man's bills for shoeing, etc In short, kept a thorough account of all domestic expenditures, but these instances are extremely rare. Domestic life among the upper class es in Mexico is charmingly simple, end really worthy of imitation as contrasted with the lives of some of our "society ladies" with their summers at water ing places and winters in Europe, their neglected homes and ceaseless round of expensive gayety. A "professional beauty" would not be tolerated here in good society, and a married belle. would speedily find herself ostracized as an improper character, A Funny Old IVy. A certain Captain Baculard left Marseilles for China, but being buf feted by the winds, he hauled up in the harbor ot Tunis to await weather. Tbe collector of the port came on board. Captain Baculard represented that he was freighted for Canton, that be bad nothing to do with Tunis, and that be only put In from stress of weather. But the collector exhibited manifest necessity that he should fork over. Captain Baculard did fork over in a rage, but instantly repaired to the palace of tbe Bey, demanding justice. "Good Frank," said the Bev, "I am your friend God is great. What the d do you want of me?" "Highness," answered Captain Bac ulard, "your custom house has robbed me. I have forked over fork back." "Excellent individual," answered the Bey; "in this country, when we have the dust we keep it. Tbe original acquisition is a difficulty. To fork back a thing is unknown in Africa." "But shall lnot have justice?-' "Certainly, every one has justice in Tunis. Will you have It in French or Tunis fashion?" "Highness, I have had a law-suit or two in France. Justice in Fiench fashion God forb'd." "But I don't press it on you," ob served the Bey. "If you choose the French, after all, I will speak to your consul. He loves justice good man; three of my subjects applied to him years ago for Immunity, and they will get it next year, I think for be loves justice." "French Justice, never! Give me the Tunisian. I am in a hurry.' "Do It, then. God Is great," said the Bey; "what is your cargo?" "Marseilles soap and twenty thous and cotton caps." t "Vizier," said he. "there Is no God 'but God, itnd Mohammed is his I prophet We love justice. We love i the Franks. Proclaim that every Jew who appears to-morrow out ot door without a cotton cap will have a little transaction to settle with me. There are twenty thousand Jews In Tunis, and not one single cotton cap In tbe place. They all made their wills, when they learned through an officer of customs that Captain Baculard had lots ot the desired article; that was enough Captain Baculard sold the in voice at two dollars a cap. Ue rushed to the palace and roared oat bds thanks. "Not so fast," said the Bey; "lam not done yet. Call the vizier," The Yizier appeared. "Proclaim," said the Bey, "that every Jew who keeps a cotton cap an other hour will have trouble with you. God is great, and I am a lineal des cendent of Mohammed." The vizier made a grand salute, placing his left leg on the back of his neck, according to tbe custom of the court, and retired. When Captain Baculard returned to the dock, he found the twenty thousand Jews al ready awaiting him, cap in hand. Ue might have had the caps for nothing; but, desirous to leave behind him a name for generosity and greatness of soul, be purchased them at two cents apiece. The Man-Milliner in New York. Tbe English man-milliner is not so lofty as the man-dressmaker. The scope is smaller, being limited to the head-piece. As a modified form ot phrenologist, he is more tolerant of the weakness ot the human race and doesn't frighten their little founts of childish vivacity every time that be may touch him. Thre Is a man -milliner now in New York who enjoys an immense vogue, quite as muoh for his rabid Anglicisms and jolly manner as for his baU and bonnets. Tie Is quite an original type. He is not of the deadly upas-tree style, but has a lively and cheerful disposition a sort of mas culine airy, fairy Lilian, "so innocent arch, so cunning-simple," with a keen appreciation of feminine charru3 and a knack of enthusing discreetly. When a pretty woman comes into his shop on Fifth avenue and tries on several bats he stands by looking on, writhing in transports like the pytho ness on the tripod. She puts on a great coaching hat, and, being human, peeps at him expectantly from under the brim. He clasps his bands, thrown into an ecstatic frenzy of admiration, and cries; "Oh, exquisite, beautiful, superb!" The assistant now brings out something very dashing and man nish, shooting out winijS from every angle Uie sort of hats that want square i eioows ana a throaty voice. At this the little man grows quite eamey himself, and says, with a sport ing air: "Pon my soul, nm, that's awfully jolly." There Is, too, just adding a piquant flavor V his universal bonhomie, a faint aristocratic aroma about him. It suggests alt kinds of maddening possibilities a clientele of titled women on the side, a family con nection with a live lord, a personal acquaintance with a professional beauty to what heights will not the unchained imagination soar? The Wind of Heaven. If the winds of heaven could become visible to us, and if from some stand point far out in the blue we could look down upon them, we should, no doubt. And rome of our preconceived notions considerably modified. That they would present a spectacle sublime beyond conception goes without saying, and though no doubt wild and seemintrlv chaotic enough to baffls the eye of an archangel in an attempt to trace out tbe entire system of their motions, a comprehensive view would yet perhaps preseut more or regularity than we are accustomed to associate with tbe winds. No douU tbe first thing that would strike the attention in such a survey would be, not the wild chaos of the aerial currents, but their orderly rhythmical motionp. For instance. throughout the topics at ordinary times there is a morning and evening ebb and flow cf tbe air as regular and as pro nounced as the ebb and flow of tbe ocean. All coasts there suck in a moist, refreshing breeze from the sea in the morning, and breathe out again at night. To the eye that could detect this grand Inhaling and exhaling over the whole tropical earth, and could see also the great trade winds sweeping down from the poles to the equator In majestic current hundreds or miles wide, two mighty streams that meet in tbe torrid zone, flow upwards and move back In tbe upper atmosphere to tbe eye that could discern all this and the many other regular and periodical cur rents, as well as the circular whirling of storms, and, possibly, tbe circular movements of storm centres, the most impressive fact of our atmospheric movements would not be their capii- cous irregularity, their fitful uncer tainty, but the sublime order and rhythm of the winds. SupprceMlus an Iusurrrction. In the early days of Michigan, when many of the Post Offices were carried in tbe bats of the Postmasters, a Post master in Livingston county was out in the woods one day and lost several letters from the hat. A day or two after that a pioneer named Bailey came to his house and inquired if there was any mail for him. "There was a letter for you. Bill. but I've lost it," was the reply. "When?" "'Tother day in the woods." "Well, I waut that letter!" "But ye can t get it. I'm sorry I lost it, but that's all I can do." Then I'll have you removed from office!" Look a-here. Bill Bailey." said the official, as he began to sk n off bis coat, "1 was appointed to bold this Post Office and I'm bound to do It. As a private citizen I have no bard feelings agin you; as Postmaster I lost a letter writ to you by your slater in York State; as a representative ot tbe great and awful Government I want to say to you that if I hear two more words of boss from your throat I'll suppress the Insurrection by hanging you to tbe nearest tree, so help me God. sir!" Mr. Bailey was, however, permitted to make a hunt in the woods for bis letter, and he found it, and the insur rection was suppressed. In Cuba, smokers consume on an average of from twenty to forty ciga rettes, or from six to twelve cigars dy. NEWS IX BRIEF. A southern fur company wanta 100,000 cats. Chicago rejoices in the possession of a cross-eyed eat. Cigarette paper Is said to be made In IIS mills in Spain. Tbe frost king's grip en the Data ware has been loosened. There is as much wind in European war talk as In any other kind. India rubber was brought to Europe from South America in 1739. A number of families have lately arrived from the Eastern States and taken np their residence in Olympla, W. T. Its the convictions and not the trials of life that worry a certain element ot the community. William Gea of Edinburgh, first practiced the art of printing from stereotyped plates. A vein of marble, one hundred feet wide, has been discovered on the road from Bodie to Carson, Ney. A colony of one hundred Catholic families frem Canada, is about to be established in Snohomish county, W.T. When Congress wants to learn something about ship-building, it has the good sense to listen to Philadel phians. The streets and squares of Berlin contain upwards of forty-five thousand trees, and the number is constantly in creasing. The market for paper stock during the year 18SG has been tbe most unsat isfactory for many years to dealers and collectors. There Is a "whistling well" on a farm in Clare county, Mich. It is 130 feet deep and whistles loudest just be fore a storm. The whole French infantry will be provided with new rifles next spring. The cost of tbe change will amount to f20.000.000. A check for one cent was drawn in Ne York by the government In favor f an Importer who bad paid excess of duty to that extent. A wall of brown stone, topped with a bronze fence, keeps stray kine off the 3 500,000 premises of James C. Flood, on Nob HilL, 'Frisco. During the past three years, eigh :een switch girls in a telephone office in t Connecticut town have been married .o subscribers ou the line. Wild do3 are harassing farmers ind residents of the towns of Hyde Park md Pleasant Valley, N. Y., and doing much damage to live stock. A boat containing fourteen persons 'ris been successfully worked oa the s-lue with artificial wmgs acting on tbe tir and propelled by a rotating wheel. Tne individual boycotter has been declared a violator ot law by the courts. Hence, those who send him out on bis lawless errand are a criminal combina tion. There are grave fears in Maine that tuberculosis from an infected herd of cattle of the State College has been spread through the eastern part of the State. There are 33 coal mines tributary to the Great Kanawha river, in West Virginia, with a present annual capa city of 0,000,000 tons, and the number is increasing. Thirteen dollars is the low rate for emigrant tickets to Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast or Londonderry, or from any tort or railway station in Ireland to New York. Tbe barometer, the Berlin Meteor ological Society is Informed, was lower in Scotland early in January than it had been known to sink, except on four occasions, in 120 years. The United States has planted a great many loose capitalists in Canada during the last few years. One would almost believe that Canada does not feel grateful for the honor. Tbe nammonton (N. J.). Fruit Growers' Union reports that last year there were shipped from that point 12S tons or grapes, 2030 barrels of pears and 1,817,803 quarts of berries. Birds of prey fly so swiftly and for such a length of time that a falcon once lost in the forest of Foutalnebleau. in the centre of France, was found the following day at Malta, more than a thousand miles distant. In these days of invention some one should be able to lnvaLt Heatinz and Lighting apparatus for moving cars bv means of Electricity. Wrecking is bad enougn, but wrecked and roasted is worse than bad. It is stated that the first temper ance society in Itussia was established by a Swedish missionary. At present there is a temperance hall in Ss. Peters bnrsr where nightly gospel temperance meetings are held. A shabby house in Jackson, Ten nessee, was lately round embellished with land grants belonging to one of the volumes of the I.and Office for Went Tennessee and representing real estate wonn now over J,Uu0,U00. Tbe papers nave been missing since the war. A Frofess - n be ',h I- ranos declares that he has soUnded" the extinct crater near the leper settlement at Molokat. and a line 3000 feet long remained tint and failed to reach the bottom. The thorough exploration of this crater would probably result in some valuable additions to our know ledge of volcanic action. Good luck taps at one's door once in a man's lifetime, and most men have Just gone over to the neighbors when the knock comes. Nine hundred and sixty-nine novels It Is stated, were issued in England last year. This includes new editions, bt even that seems an enormous amount of fiction. The second place is held by works on theology and books of sermons of which there were 732. Only 93 books of poems were brought out, and of wotks for children 445. The total num ler of books of all classes published was 3210, which falls over 4U0 below tbe t 'tal of 1883, during which year 3040 books were issued from the English publishing houses. A new source of carbon. It is stated that an excellent carbon for elec trical purposes can be obtained from sea weeds After thorough wash lug in hot water, the material is dried and is then carboulzed in closed retorts in tbe usual manner. The resulting pro duct is then treated with dilute acid and dried. It is then said to be a per fectly pure form of carbon in soft masses or lumps, which may easily be crushed between the fliigf rs. and, after being ground, makes an excellent raw m tterial for the purposss for which carbon is applied. I Jt. I (if it- i V
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers