"1
fiiifiiirf, Jiv mi!
B. F. SOHWEIER,
THE COaSTITUTlOI-TEB TTHOI-UTO TIE mOKTEKZXT 07 TEE LAYS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XLI.
MIFFLINTOWN. JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 1, 1887.
NO. -23
i
: i
.
Give l"s Thin Day "
tJfe broug'.it bor nothing men call good
None ot 'is brightest or its best
But soruw broke lier solitnda,
Au' anguish nought her patient breast,
eJ, through it all, her faith was strong,
And strongest when meet dark her lot ;
3he knew that peace was hers ere lone,
Where sorrow dies, and tears are not.
So with clasped hands and bended bead.
Her lips could say,
"Give us this day.
3ur lally bread."
she climbed the weary hill of lif.
With feet nnaided and unshod
(Save by God's grace), aud constant strife
Atteuded eTery step sin trod.
Vet, through the gloom these shadows
made,
A llfiht about Ler feet was cast.
And lilting up her voice she laid
lier load, w here loads must come at last.
Hence, those poor lips so scatit'y fed
In faith could say,
"Give us this day
Ourdai'.v bread."
AN AMlCAIiLE ARRANGEMENT.
Mr. Gimblet, the celebrated ex-detective,
w;:s fooiish enough to transact
his Stock Exchange business through
an outside broker. With all his astute
ness, he hhiitel the Idiosyncrasy of
many clever people, or being somewhat
careless about his private affairs, and
the glowing advertisements of Messrs.
Vant & S.owbody had iroyed irresist
ible, lie bad not done badly by the
firm, uioii tl-e wLoI.-. when one morn
ing he leamtd to his great disgust that
the junior partner had disappeared
after committing extensive defalca
tions. Mr. Gimblet, fortunately, had re
cently realized nearly all his securities
aud duly received payment. There
temained a balance due to him, but it
was not verv much, and If the failure
of Iilt-ssrs. Vant & Slowbody had oc
cuircd in tlie ordinary way, he would
have bjrne his loss with equanimity.
But, accoiui"g to the reports published
in the newspa, era. It appeared that the
misfortune had been entirely brought
about by the tUirant dishonesty of Mr.
Slowbody, who had taken advantage of
his senior's temporary absence to ab
scond with an enormous sum of money,
aud had apparently contrived to get
clear away with his booty. The great
est sympathy was expressed for Mr.
Vant", who had hastened home on bear
ing the startling news, only to Dnd
himself utterly ruined. It mado Mr.
Gimblet very angry indeed to think
that he had been robbed, and he deter
mined that Mr. Slowbody should not
escape Ecott-free for want of any aisist
ance he could render.
Accordingly Mr. Gimblet attended
the preliminary meeting of the ere lit
ers of the firm, dressed in his best, with
the inevitable liower in his buttonhole.
Nobody paid the slightest attention to
to him, for he modestly kept in the
background and took no part in the
proceedings. He did not trouble his
head by attempting to follow the fig
ures and the dry businesj details which
bore upon the Important question of
the dividend the estate would yield, but
certain parts of Mr. Vant's pathetic
and eloquent statement interested him
so much, that when the meeting ad
journed, he politely accosted that gen
tleman and requested a few minutes'
conversation. "
Mr. Vant seemed inclined to resent
Mr. Giuiblet's demand as an Imperti
nence. He was a florid, elderly man.
with a loud voice, and rather pompous
manners. lie probably considered that
after the ample statement he had made,
the questions he had satisfactorily an
swered, and the unanimous vote of
sympathy by which his creditors bad
testified their appreciation of his
straightforward conduct, he might be
spared the importunities of individual
creditor?.
"1 am afraid that just at this mo
mex.t I have no time to give you. sir,"
he replied, glancing rather supercil
iously at Mr. G'lmblet.
"Very well. Only I thought I might
possibly be of some service to you,"
said Mr. Gimb'.et, qiiitetiy.
"In what way?" inquired Mr. Vant.
"My name is Gimblet," said the
ex-detective, producing one cf his busi
ness cards.
"Ohl ah! To be sure," said Mr.
Vant, with sudden cordiality. "1
believe you generally transacted your
business through my late partner. That
is why I did not recognize you. Come
In here."
Mr. Gimblet followed Mr. Vant Into
a small private room, with a gratified
smile upon his shrewd lips. Vanity
was the ex-detective's weak point, and
be could not help feeling flattered at
Mr. Vant's change of manner.
"I believe you are one of the smaller
creditors, Mr. Gimblet, fortunately for
yourself," remarked Mr. Vant, when
they were alone.
"Yes," said Mr. Gimblet, taking a
mental note of the fact that for the
first time during the day Mr. Vant
showed signs of nervousness. "How
ever, I did not wish to trouble you
about that."
"Oh, don't consider me for a mo
ment," said Mr. Vant, with a wave of
bis white band. "I place myself en
tirely and unreservedly at the disposi
tion of my creditors. Everything I
possess in the world my house, my
plate, and my carriages, and even my
wife's jewelry will go toward in
creasing the dividend and repairing
this terrible disaster as far as lies iu
my power."
"So 1 understand," said Mr. Gimb
let, quite unmoved "1 wanted to ask
about Mr. Slowbody."
"A warrant has been issued for his
apprehension," said Mr. Vaut, Some
what impatiently.
"Yes, sir, I know. But not until
too late."
"What do you man? I gave Infor
mation to the police within an hour of
my return home," said Mr. Vant, red
dening slightly.
"1 understand the facts are these,"
said Mr. Gimblet," You and your
family were staying at Biarritz."
"We have been there two months,"
Interposed Mr. Vant.
"Exactly. You had no suspicion of
your partner's proceedings until"
"Until I received his letter written
from Queeustown, informing me of his
Bight," interrupted Mr. Vant quickly.
"1 immediately started home by the
first train, and after sending half an
hour here. I called in the police. You
see I did not lose a moment."
"No; but the letter did not reaa
you till several days more tha-i a
week, in lac' after date," remarks i
Mr. GimUet.
"That is to. Unfortunately I had
left Biarritz with my family the day
before the letter arrived there. Con
m uenlly it ha I to ba forwar-'ed on U
iaris, auu una caused delay."
"Mr. Slowbody had plenty of tun:
to reach America, if that was his des
tination, between the date of his letter
and the time of your giving informa
tion to the police," observed Mr.
plmblet, musingly.
"That may be. I presume these
questions have reference to a desire on
your part to assist in apprehending my
late partner," said Mr. Vant, drawing
himself up.
"Most certainly. Considering that
he has robbed aud ruined you, no one
in his senses would imagine you desired
to assist his escape," said Mr. Gimblet
with an innocent air.
"My dear sir, I I am a Christian, a
professing Christian certainly, and I
liope a sincere one. At the same time,
I cannot help feeling vindictive toward
my late partner. As you say, he has
robbed and ruined me. When 1 think
of the misery aud suffering he has
wrought "
"What do the police say, sir?" said
Mr. Gimblet, interrupted Mr. Vant's
remarks with scant courtesy.
"Well, they have no clue at present,
but they are hopeful, " answered Mr.
Vant. "I am sure they would be
grateful for any suggestion you could
make to them."
"No they wouldn't, because I might
tell them that they are on the wrong
scent altogether," said Mr. Gimblet,
looking his companion straight in the
face. "However," feigning not to
notice Mr. Vant's start and look of
confusion. "I never interfere In what
doesn't concern me. ine police can
go their way, and I will go mine."
u You are exceeding kind," returned
Mr. Vant, evidently striving to appear
cordial, "to Interest yourself about the
matter."
"Don't mention It, sir," said Mr.
Gimblet, taking np his hat; "you see
I've been robbed that Is the long and
short of it. I've not lost much, it's
the having been swindled that riles
me. I should like to be even with Mr.
Slowbody.'
MYou are not singular in that desire.
Mr. Gimblet," said Mr. Vant, extend
ing his hand. "Anything you have to
suggest shall receive the most careful
attention."
Mr, Gimblet wended his way home
ward in a very thoughtful frame of
mind after this interview. The fact
was that he felt completely mystified
by Mr. Vaut'a behavior. While that
gentleman was making lib statement
to his creditors, the ex-detective had
been struck by a sudden suspicion that
he was acting a part. The idea came
to him with the force and suddenness
which he had learned from experience
to associate with a happy inspiration.
The great secret of Mr. Gimblet 's suc
cess in his ieculiar line of business was
a singular knack of forming a correct
conclusion without the process of rea
soning. He was by no means wanting
iu logical perception, but he was fre
quently aided in his investigations by a
sort of intuition which put him on the
right track when others were vainly
groping in the dark. He had instinct
ively m'strusted Mr. Vant from the
moment he commenced his speech, and
when the proceedlnas terminated he
felt impelled to engage him in conver
sation in order to gauge his character.
He had no difficulty in this, for Mr.
Vant's demeanor hal not been calcu
lated to inspire confidence. Iu fact,
Mr. Gimblet had a very strong impres
sion that, in spite of direct evidence to
the contrary, the gentleman was no
more entitled to sympathy than his
defaulting partner.
When he came to consider the de
tails, however, Mr. Gimblet was in
clined to mistrust his opinion. It was
quite clear that Mr. Slowbody had de
camped, as alleged, and had involved
h.s partner in ruin. The report of the
accountants, a firm of high standing,
proved indisputably not only that Mr.
Slowbody had robbed his ciients, but
also that he had pledged property be
longing to Mr. Vant, besides impropri
ating the whole ot their joint capital.
The statement of affairs disclosed the
. most shameful frauds on the part of
Mr. Slowbody, In none of which was
there the slightest evidence to show
that Mr. Va n had been implicated.! In
fast, the surrounding circumstances ail
pointed to the innocence of the senior
partner, and no shadow of suspicion ap
peared to rest upon him. But when Mr.
Gimblet was seized with an idea, he did
easily suffer himself to be disconcert-d
by adverse facts. Consequently, when
he reached his dingy office, be said to
one of his assistant:
"Grainger, you live at Clapham,
don't you?',
"Yes, sir."
"I want you to make a few inquiries
about a Mr. Vant," said Mr. Gimblet,
thoughtfully drawing crosses with his
pen ou his blotting-pad.
'Is that the gentleman who has been
swindled by his partner?"
"Yes. The matter doesn't press at
all; any time will do. Just lind out
when he left Biarritz, and what day he
received in Paris the news of his part
ner's disappearance. You may be able
to get It from one of the servants."
After this Mr. Gimblet dismissed the
subject from his mind for several days,
having more important business on
hand. He learned from the newspapers
that no clue had been obtained as to
the whereabouts of the defaulting
partner, and it seemed pretty certain
that he bad made good his escape. At
length his subordinate reminded him
or the mission he liad Intrusted to him.
"Well, what have you ascertained?"
1 made the acquaintance ot the
gentleman's valet, sir, who accom
panied the family to Biarritz."
"Ye?."
"Every one in Clapham sympathizes
very much with Mr. Vant. The house
and furniture are to be sold, and the
servants have all received notice.
"Of course," said Mr. Gimblet, im
patiently. "The family stayed at Biarritz nearly
two months, at the Hotel d'Angleterre.
They left on the 2Jth cf January and
went to Tans. The Utter followed
him there, forwarded with other letters
Irom Biarritz some days later."
"Yes?"
"The valet was in the room waen
the letter arrived. Of course, the valet
did not know what had happened at the
time, but he guessed there was some
thing wrong by the way Mr. Vant
abused him for picking up the envelope
from the floor." ,
"Ohl How was that?" inquired Mr.
Gimblet with sudden interest.
"The valet stopped to pick up ths
envelope which bad fallen. Mr. ant
pounced upon him dir. ctly and snatched
i; away from him and destroyed it In a
passion." , . ,
"I suppose he saw the man looking
curiously at the postmark or aome
thlQir." said Mr. Gimblet, thought
fully.
'I suppose
he did, but the valet I
didn't notice anything except that the
letter had a Spanish stamp."
"Eh?" exclaimed Mr. Gimblet,
quickly.
"That is what the man said, sir,"
said the clerk, a little startled by an
abrupt movement of his master.
"Very well. What e'se?" inquired
Mr. Gimblet.
It was evident, however, that his
mind was preoccupied, and that he
paid but little attention to the remain
ing details which his assistant related.
The latter were quite unimportan',
and when the man had finished. Mr.
Gimblet dismissed him without asking
anything further. But, the Incident ot
the letter or rather tha envelop
afforded him food for reflection. The
letter professed to have been written
from Queenstown, and to have come
from tnere. Mr. Gimblet had seen a
copy of it, the original being in the
hands of the police. Obviously fie
envelope containing It ought to have
been franked by an English sUinp.
The fact of its having a Spanish stamp
showed conclusively that it hal not
been posted in Ireland. Of course, it
was just possible that the valet miv
have been mistaken at a hasty glance;
but, on tho other band, why should
Mr. Vant have seized i; so anxiously,
aud why had he destroyed so important
a piece or evidence? Upon the whole
Mr. Gimblet was inclined to b?l.eve
the correctness of the valet's story;
and this suggeslei the inference that
Mr. Vant had deliberately beeu mis
leading the police and his creditors foi
the purpose or screening his partner.
The traiu of thought which followed
this discovery kept Mr. Gimblet 's mind
fully occupied for half an hour, during
which he sat at his desk whistling
syftly to himself, with a very kuowlua
expression. At length he roused him
self from his reverie and started off
into the city, where ho paid a visit to
Mr. Vant
"I've called sir," he said, quietly,
upon being usherel into that gentle
man's office, "with reference to cur
conversation the other day.
"Ahl Very glad to see you, Mr.
Gitnbet," said Mr. Vant, who had
been permitted, owing to the sympathy
of his creditors, to continue his business
under favorable auspices. "There is
no news, I'm sorry to say, I suppose
you have none?"
"Well, 1 think I've found out some
thing, sir," said Mr. Gimblet, with
edifying humility.
"Indeedl What i3 it?" Inquired Mr.
Vant, condescendingly.
"You said the letter announcing the
flight ot your partner came from
Queenstown?"
"Sj it diJ. The police have It."
"It profesied to come from Queens
towu, but I can prove that it come
from Spain, and fiat you knew it,"
said Mr. Gimblet, in a matter-of-fact
tone.
Mr. Vant fell back in his chair a?
though he had been shot, and turned
as pale as marble. The ex-detective's
calm and penetrating gaze caused tlie
denial he attempted to utter to die
away on his lips. After a pausj he
said horsely:
"I did it for the best. lie bad
wronged me, but he had been my
friend. I had no other motive."
"You may tell that to the marines,
sir," said Mr. Gimblet, with a wink.
"Do you mind my telling you a little
story?"
"What about?" murmured Mr.
Vant.
"About two friends of mine call
'em Smith and Jones," began Mr.
Gimblet, quite cheerfully. "Smith
an 1 Jones were in business together,
but things went from bad to worse,
till nothing remained but to Bhut up
shop. But Smith, who was an enter
prising fellow, proposed to Jones to
raise all the money they cojjld, to collar
everything tbey could lay their hands
on, aud to make a bolt."
"totaling ot the kind! nothing of the
kind!" g-isted Mr. Vant.
' But Jones had a better idea than
that." resumed Mr. Gimblet. "He
suggested instead that Smith should do
as he proposed, and leave blm behind
This arrangemeut would suit both o
them Smith would have more capita,
to make a fresh start in another coun
try, while Jones would remain behind
aud pose as a martyr. You see, sir, a
crash was inevitable; Jones was bouu l
to have lost everything, and he pre
ferred to do so under circumstances
that would secure popular sympathy
and induce his friends to come lorward
Besides, of coursa, he was to have part
of the swag on the quiet."
"No. I'll swear, not a farthing,"
cried Mr. Vant, vehemently. It's
it's a lie, all of it," he aaded, evidently
beside himself.
" 1 here is a precious lot ot money
gone, Mr. Vant," said Mr. Gimblet.
meaningly.
"Look here, Mr. Gimblet," said Mr.
Vant, making a desperate effort to 10
cover his composure, and dropping his
xo.co to a tremulous whisper, "suppose
everything had happened precisely as
you say, what could you prove?"
"I stiould leave that to others," re -piled
Mr. Gimblet, evasively.
"But nobody could prove anything.
Do you doubt, if 1 had done as you
suggest, I should not have taken every
possible precaution? As regards yoai
wonderful discovery about the letter
Having come from Spain "
"Well?" inquired Mr. Gimblet, :i
his companion paused.
"I deny It, but still -nanin your
price!"
The Enslish as Skaters.
AS a nation luey are not great
skaters. Some good performers there
are; yet men who skate taking the
term to mean something more than
merely floundering along in the most
ungraceful attitudes are comparatively
small in number. As the newspaper i
tell us, crowds of people flocked to the
n Tares t pond long before the ice bears.
To the masses the existence of an acre
or two of Ice means the extension ot
available play grounds, and upon the
principle of anything for a change,
great numbers resort to every frozen
puddle. And what do they do when
they get there? sliders are numerous;
more than half the skaters find it neces
sary to braadish a stick as a means of
retaining their balance; a man doing
thejoutside edge is almost sure of a gal
lerv, while anything outside of this
raises the skater to the position ot an
expert. Yet skating in England has.
In point of proficiency, made rapid
strides within the last fifty years; and a
few but very few of our best skaters
can bold their own with the represen
tatives of any nation,
27k widespread belief that try trained
against the walls of a dwelling-house is
productive ot dampness is a fallacy.
AVOOKI. BUT NOT WEDDED.
Sweet heart Perjures lieraclf anil
Seeks Repentance in a Convent.
In tho Fall or 1343 I was sent out as
tuptr-cargo of a vessel laden with
Jour and other provisions for the relief
f the starving iop!e ct Ireland. The
?hip was freighted for the city ot
Limerick, but, after my duty was
lischarged, I still lingered in the
vicinity.
In my travels through the country I
became acquainted with a family who
had beeu comparatively well off until
the total failure of successive crops had
reduced them to the same abject
poverty as their neighbors. There
were an older brother and sister and
several smaller children. They were
orphans, but Timothy Delaney had
supplied his father's place as well as he
could, and bad kept the family to
gether. He was a genial, open-hearted
fellow; fond of fun aud frolic, like most
ot bis countrymen, and carrying their
proverbial honesty almost to an excess.
Allen, or Eily Delaney was one of
the most beautiful girls I 67er beheld;
and It was not Ion before I discovered
that her beauty had gained for her the
best match in the parish a young
farmer, well-to-do in the world, and a
handsome fellow to boot. Neverthe
less, her engagement did not meet the
approval of her brother, of which I was
apprised one evening when I called at
the cottage.
"He's wake as runnin' wather," said
Timothy. "Sure It's to shame an'
heart-break he'll bring ye, Eily, yit "
Lily's beautiful dark blue eyes tilled
with tears aud her Up3 trembled.
"Oh, vo, vo, Tim, asthore, it's the
hard word ye put on the poor boy that's
promised me, an' before his honor, too.
An' sure, it's for nothln' at all but
the bad name he's got from the agint."
"The agint 's nothin' to do wid it,
Eily. Sure, now, his honor's honor
knows it's not the word uv a Sas
senach land agint I'd bs afther takln'
agin my own sister's husband that's
to be. But ye Know yerself, Eily,
machree, that he's turned his back on
the priest and his duty, an he's got in
wid thiin that'll lade him to the rope's
ind, an' our honest name that nlvlr hail
the laste taste o' dirt thrown on it ull
be dhragged through the mud by him."
"That It'll nlver, niver bel It's
little ye know Michael O'Connor, when
ye spake that word."
"An' how well do yez know him?
Do yez know wheie he was yestreen?
Or where he'll be at Shrovetide?"
Eily was silent.
"Thin it's mesilf will tell yez. Idly,
alauna, though it hurts me to tne mid
dle o' my heart to give ye the hard
word. 'Stead o' bsin' an his knees
forninst the priest like a good Christian,
it's out wid the boy? he'll be that night,
an' inside the doors o' the county jail
mayhap 'fore mornin'."
"He will net, he will not!" cried the
girl passionately. "He's promised to
meat me at the blackthorn tree nigh
hand the chattel, an' go wid me to
confession an' to the holy communion
Ash Wednesday mornin', an' sure it
Isn't wid the black dhrop iu his heart
he'd be goin' to his duty."
"Thin hould him to that promise,
Eily, asthore, and maybe yez may save
him yit: but I'll tell ye agln it's into
bad ban's he's got, an' he's wake as
wather."
On the evening ot Shrove Tuesday,
as I was riding along the road that
led by the little Catholic chapel, I saw
a lonely figure, dressed in the short
scarlet petticoat and mantle commonly
worn by the women of the west coast,
crouching under a huge old blackthorn
tree by the roadside.
"There is Eily waiting for her
lover," I thought. "I hope he will
prove true to bis tryst."
Next morning 1 was roused by the
gossoon belonging to the inn entering
my room and telling me "there was
one beyant wait in' to have spacbe wid
me av I plased." Upon going out I
found Tim D-daney, Who told me the
obnox ous agent had been murdered in
his bed the night hefoie; that several
of the "boys" in the neighborhood had
been "reshtel" on suspicion, and that
Michael O'Connor was among them.
"l'oor Eily! how does she bear it?"
was my first question.
"Indade, au' that's list what I can't
tel', yer honor. May I nlver slape in
glory av I know what to make uv the
colleen. Sure, it's loike a stock or a
stone she's slttin' iver since widout a
ward to fling at a djg."
"But." said I, "O'Connor was to
meet Eily last evening and go with
lier to chapeL Did he do so? and how
long were they together?"
"Sorra one o' me knows. I kern
home airly from chapel meself, an'
weut straight to bed. Pelione! It's
black, black me heart Is an scalded
wid the hot tears for me poor Eily I"
"Don't give up, Tim, my man. If
your sister can prove O'Connor was
with her, he's all right. What time
wa the murder discovered?"
"About tin, as I'm towld, yer
honor. The agint's wife wint to his
room an' there she found him stritched
stiff."
Could Eily prove O'Connor's Inno
cence? No one knew nor could any
one gaiu the least intelligence from her.
Upon everything cohnectel with her
lover she remained obstinately silent,
and no questioning would induce her
to admit or deny any knowledge of his
actions on that night. -
The day of the trial cams and the
court-room and yard around it were
crowded to suffocation. Two of the
men were convicted without any diffi
culty and sentenced to be hanged in
three days. Michael O'Connor was
tried on a separate indictment as not
having been actively engaged In the
murder, but aiding and abetting by
keeping guard for the others.
After the opening speeches of the
counsel, and the witnesses for the
prosecution had been heard, "Call
Eiiy Delaney," said the lawyer en
gaged for the defense.
Tale as the sheeted dead, with every
feature of her lovely face so set in Iron
resolution that it looked as if carved
from Parian marble, Eily Delaney,
with unfaltering voice and hand, called
on God to witness that she spoke the
truth, ths whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, when she swore that
Michael O'Conuor had met her at the
blackthorn tree on Shrove Tuesday
evening, that ha had gone with her to
the chapel, and afterward accompanied
her home, where he remained talking
before the kitchen fire until 13 o'clock
that night. As her evidence concluded
and she turned to leave the stand her
eyes met mine, and 1 knew in that in
stant that she had sworn falsoly. Her
brother knew it, too. As the Jury re
turned, a verdict of "Xot guilty," De
laney Raised bis bead and looked fni
at bis sister. But on her beautiful
face there fell a shadow more solemn
than despair; a life-long remorse, a
lire-long renunciation spoke in her an
swering look.
Xext day I left Limerick tor the
north of Ireland and it was some
months befoie I again stood on the
busy quay of the famous old city. An
emigrant ship was to sail that day and
crowds were pushing and shoving their
way on board. Among them I caught
sight of familiar faces and was pres
ently shaking hands with Tim Delaney
and his family. Thera they all were,
including Mick O'Connor. A little
apart from the others stood Eily, her
hands hung listlessly by her side, and
her sad eyes gazed vacantly over the
rolling waves. There was something
inexpressibly forlorn and desolate in
her look as I approached ber and said:
"Well, Eily, I hope you will find
more happiness in the new world than
you leave behind you In the old."
She turned a heartbroken look on
me. but remained silent. Her brother
spoke: "But she's not goin' wid us, the
crathur? Heard ye iver the loike o'
that, yer honor? Sure, it does be
breakiu' me heart to lave her, but I
can't kape the chUdher here to starve."
"And you, too, O'Conuor," said I,
in wondering reproach, "do you. too,
abandon her?"
"She would have It so," said be,
looking down sheepishly.
"Yes," said Eily, In a clear, resolute
tone, "I will have it so. Let thim go
an' find happier homes an' fairer for
tunes beyant the say. Sucb are not for
me. I don't deserve thim. To-morrow
I join the Sisterhood ot St. Bridget
and spind the balance o' my sad life in
plnance for my sin."
So she did, and in works of charity
and mercy and in dally prayer and
penance strove to wash out the guilt
of that false oath by which she had
pledged her soul to save ber lover's
life.
The Voices of tird.
That starlings and ravens can talk is
a well-known fact.
The mocking-bird is a perfect pla
giarist in the featiiered world; be imi
tates almost all songsters, even the
nightingale.
Tarrots are able to make a noise like
that produced by a saw, the sound of a
cork drawn from a bottle, and other
noises still more peculiar.
The kingfisher can reproduce most ac
curately the crackling of hens, the
barking of dogs, the quacking of ducks
and the bleating of sheep.
Birds as well as mankind are apt to
be vain of their voices and seek to excel
one another. Especially Is this the
case with nightingales. In a hedge
inhabited by them one may often ob
serve that their voices increase two, ay.
threefold iu strength, and sometimes
some of these birds are found with
their throats torn they havo simpiy
sung themselves to deatu.
The stork in Africa, It Is said, is
dumb and bis ciappenng is but an
imitation of the sharpening of scythes.
This sound is supposed to be specially
pleasing to the stork, because on freshly
cut meadows he always finds food in
plenty, and therefore it is suggestive of
a rich dinner. All of these birds show
great fondness for, and are said to be
capable of, imitating the human voice,
if one were only to take sufficient pains
in training them. And, more than this,
they can repeat entire words like the
parrot.
Not only In music have birds been
the model followed by man, but also
that peculiar and entertaining art, ven
trUoqutsm, has been copied from them.
Just as many of them sing out boldly
and All the air with their melodies,
others form their sounds without open
ing their bills. Tiie pigeon is a well
known instance of this; its cooing can
be distinctly heard, although it does
not open its bill, the call is formed in
ternally In the throat and chest, and is
only rendered audible by resonance.
Similar ways may be observed in m tuy
birds and other animals. The clear,
loud call of the cuckoo, according to
Xicolardot, is only the resonance of a
note formed in the bird. The whirring
of the snipe, which betrays the ap
proach of the bird to the hunter. Is an
act of ventriloquism. The frog also is
said not to open his mouth in croaking,
but to create his far-reaching sounds by
the rolling of air in his intestines.
Effective llebukes.
A piece of quiet irony, which sug
gests more than it says, is one of the
most effective methods of administer
ing reproof. But it must be delicately
put. for the least bungling will make it
a failure.
One day, while Gen. Itabert E. Lee
was visiting the lines at Petersburg, he
aske l an officer riding with him, if a
certain work he (Lee) had ordered done
was finished. Tne officer replied, after
a little hesitation, that it was.
"Then let us ride to the spot and in
spect it," said Lee.
On arriving there, he fonnd that lit
tle progress had been made in the
work, and the confused officer tried to
excuse himself by saying: "I ordered
It to be done at once, and I was told
that It had been completed, but I did
not think It necessary to verify the
fact by a personal inspection."
-We must give our personal atten
t on to the lines," said Gen, Lee. rid
ing on. In a few minutes he began
complimenting the officer's horse.
"Yes, sir," answered the officer, "he
is a splendid animal and I prize him
more highly because he Is my wife's
favorite riding-horse."
"A magnificent horse, but I should
not think him safe for Mrs. to
ride," said Gen. Lee. "He's too spir
ited for a lady, and I would urge you
by all means to take some of the mettle
out of him before you permit your wife
to ride him again. And, by the way,
general, I would suggest to you that
the rough paths along these trenches
would be admirable ground over which
to train him."
While Gen. Lee was President of
Washington College, a visitor asked
how a certain student was getting on,
"He Is a quiet, orderly young man,"
answered the President, "but he seems
very careful not to injuie the health of
his father's son. He got last month
only forty on his Greek, thirty-five on
bis English, which is a very low stand
ing, as one hundred is our maximum.
Now, 1 do not want our young men to
injure their health, but I wish them to
come as near it as possible."
He (of Boston) "In this world,
Miss Penn, we cannot have all things
to please us. Even the rose, you know,
has thorns."
She (ot Philadelphia) "Yes, Mr.
Waldo, and planked shad its bones.
Ah me!"
OMEXS OP- GOOD AXD KVIIj.
Popular Sn per-aiil ions That llaro
Outlived Many General ions.
The superstitions banded down from
Mother Eve are observed by many of
her daughters. If you are to bj mar
ried In church you must, leave the
house hand in hand, and, be the stepj
ever so narrow, you must descend to
gether. If you let go of each other it
will bring separation either in life or
deatlu He who looks around on the
way to a wedding Is looking for an
other, and if the wedding ring is lost it
rorbodes that the couple will not live
long together. That the particular day
of the week on which birth takes place
determines the character and fortune
of the child is an assumption hoary
with age. Children born on Sunday
are said to have the power of second
sight or clairvoyancy. If a new trn
babe has a particularly old look you can
conclude that it will not live to grow
up. If you have Us picture taken be
fore it is a year old it will meet with
the same sad fate. The same Is said of
children who are allowed to play with
flowers or who are taken inside a ceme
tery at this early period of life. If you
would sleep soundly and peacefully the
head of the bed must face the east, but
on no account must the foot be oppo
site the door, for the person in it will
certainly be carried from the house a
corpse. If you wish to sleep without
dreaming you must put one shoe or
rumr. nnriAr trtA tu! ami lif. tliA ft'liar
lie in the room where it can be seen. II !
you wish to awake at a certain hour
strike your big toe against the foot
board five or six times, whatever the
number of the hour may be, and your
wish will be fulfilled you will awake
at the precise moment. For lazy pupils
it is recommended to put the book con
taining the lesson to be learned under
the pillow at night aud they will ba
sure to know it in the morning. In
the Highlands of Scotlond it is said
that, If a servant while making the bed
happens to sneeze, the sleep of the per
son who is to He in it will be disturbed
unless a little of the straw (or other
substance) with which it is
staffed Is taken out and thrown into
the fire. If strangers of opposite sexes
r.semble each other you can wager a
thousand to one that they will be mar
ried if they meet, provided they care
fully avoid using the words "if or
"but," or give them a proper turn
when used. You must never give
shoo or stockings to any one whom you
wish to retain near you; if you do he
will be certain to run away. If a lover
presents a knife or any sharp instru
ment to his betrothed their love will
be cut asunder unless he takes a pin or
something similar in exchange. Our
meals are seasoned with the same non
sense. If one upsets the Bait he will
shed many tears; so If he lays knife and
fork across each other. If you are sin
gle aud are the first to cnt into the
butter yon must wait seven years to
be married. If you sit at the sharp
corner ot the table yon will have a
humped-back wife. At the change of
the year dishes made of grainy sub
stances are preferred; it is a sign of
money. So the first meal of a newly
married couple should consut of grauu-
lousfood. It is considered a great
wrong to give away the end of a loaf
ui ureau, iu , iu u.tu u
been cut with the cut side upon the
table. If a young man wishes to sue
ceed in business he will not make his
beginning Monday, though in Ireland,
it must be added, this is considered an
auspicious day, while in the .North cf
Scotland the mere mention of Monday
the first time in company may bring bad
luck. Friday, or course, is a day of ill
omen, on wnicu no new wsm must ue
commenced. Even among the Brah
mins this feeling prevailed, and it has
probably come down to ns a part of
our Aryan inneriiance. 11 your ten
hand itches, you will take in money; if
your right, you will pay it out. A
tinging in the light ear means that
some one is speaking well of you; in
the left, you may be sure that evil
tongues are busy witn you. it your
right eye itshes you will see some
beautiful sieht: if the left you will have
cause to shed tears. If your nose itches
you will hear some news, or will fall
into the mire. If in dressing you put
on vour stockings wrong side out it is a
sizu of cood luck; but you must leave
it so or the luck will cuaoge Deiore
nizhL On the other hand, if a stock-
ii g is put on the wrong side out on u;e
weddinff dav it portends a disastrous
union. If you put a stitch into any
article of clothing that is on your body
you will sow your luck fast, and if
there are any strings to be tied or
loosened while dressiug you mutt be
careful not to get them Into a knot.
Furthermore, a chad under 13 monins
must not be allowed to see its image in
the looking glass for fear of its becom
ing vain later in life. If you look over
a child's head it will not grow any
more. If little children kiss each other
before they can speak they will never
learn anything. If a little daughter
resembles her mother sne wia never
have a particle of good luck in all her
life. If a prl baby is given its mother's
name it will not live. The same is
said of a son who is named after his
father. If, in spite of all the threaten-
inz perils of infancy and youth, in
spue of all bad omens and evil spirits.
the child has grown to maturity, a
whole world of danger will open before
him, and be must learn to read many
ti.ns and portents it ne wisues w net r
s.ie good iuck mat nas in us lar si-
tended him. If, on going out of the
bouse, you forget something, you unict
under no circumstances turn nac nou
can possibly avoid it; n you uo yon
must at any rate sit down before going
out again. If the first person you meet
is an old woman tt is a sign ot coming
misfortune, while on the contrary, t
funeral procession denotes good for
tune. What Napoleon II L Miftht Havo Dunn
The Prince remarked that "if then
were barricades in the streets of Paris
such as those by which his way to tin.
throne was won in 1S30, the Kin?
would not give orders to disperse tin
mob by force of arms." "Why do von
think so?" asked Mr. Kogers. "ths
King is a weak man a merciful man.
He does not like bloodshed. I otter
think he was a fool not to have had n.t
shot after the affair of Strasburg. Il.it i
our cases been reversed I know that 1
,1
niinuui;
would have had him shot
mercy."
Real difference of opinio:;, honestl
expressed, whenever the subject it
serious enouja to demand it, aiwayi
dftfervs respectful attention aud oou
slderation. ,
'.NEATH THE CRESCENT.
Customs of Religion, Marriage, So
cial Intercourse and Behavior.
The Koran has fixed the hours that
! must be consecrated to prayers. These
prayers, namaz, are five in number.
The most solemn is the morning prayer;
it is the sabah. namizl; it is utterel
after the dawn. Just before therMng
of the sun. The second Is the midday
prayer, enlle namazL The third, jklndy
namazi, must be offered just before the
setting of the sun. The evening
prayer, aacham namazi, is uttered lust
before the shadows conceal the horizon.
Finally the last and fifth prayer, yatcy
namazi. Is uttered in the interval after
sundown and just before dawn.
The hour of prayers is regularly
proclaimed to the faithful by the
imams, called muezzins, who walk
around the balcony of the minarets
singing In a melancholy voice this un
varying litany: "God, the most high,
I here proclaim that there is no God
but God. I proclaim that Mohammed
is the prophet of God. Come to the
temple of salvation. Great God! God
the most high! There is no God bu;
God!" Blind men are usually selected
for muezzins, or at least imams that
suffer from confirmed myopia, so that
they cannot throw inquisitive glances
toward the women that may be prom
enading on the terraces of the houses.
Christians surround their observance
of prayer with a kind of mystery or of
reserve that the Musselmans know
absolutely nothing of.
In whatever place a devout Omanli
may find himself, whether in his house,
in the streets, in a public square, doinz
business or on a visit, as soon as the
hour of the namaz is announced he
makes his religious preparations, places
under his knees a small rug, or. In de
fault of which a handkerchief, turns
bis face toward Mecca, places his arms
in the shape of a cross upon his breast
or places them to his forehead, pros-
trates himself, then rises all this
slowly and with strict observance or
rules. If he is in the street he does
not permit himself to be distracted and
disconcerted by anything, not even by
the Indiscreet curiosity of the Euro
pean, who looks at him astonished by
this novel sight, but who generally
has no desire to ridicule it; for this
worship under the open sky, disregard
ing social conventionalities, indifferent
to whatever may be said, has some
thing grand and sacred about it that
bardshes all rallery and Inspires respect.
Marriages receives scarcely more at
tention among the Turks than birth
and death, and there is but little em
barrassment from the administrative
formalities that precede and accompany
this solemn act in the West. There are
no bans, no announcements, no regis
trations. A man obtains a wife just as
he would buy a bouquet; but neither
the buyer nor the seller, nor the inter
mediary asks for a receipt. As it i3
forbidden a man to enter the barem or
another (even if he were a near rela
tive of the latter) to see a young wo
man and talk with her, there are no
marriages for love and no engagements
One father meets another father and
says to him: "You havo a son and I
have daughter. If the mother of your
son knows my daughter, let u3 strike a
bargain; if sLe does not know her, let
husiws9 Tne conditioas are dl3l
them see each other and let us cIosj up
. , haufflf,! over, and
then all the arrangements between the
parents are made and the young people
introduced to each other.
Let ns add in passing that among
us marriages ttat are contracted in the
gnat capitols of Europe, especially iu
Paris, do not depart far from this pro
gram. Iu France, hewever, a man is
still allowed to behold the object for
the acquisition of which negotiations
are in progress. In Turkey this is for
bidden, there marriaze is a lottery in
deed. Turkish girU are promised usu I
ally when they are very young, even ai1
a tender age. when they arc ouy J or 4
years old. If the young bride should
happen to die before her marriage, or,
be required for the Sultan's harem
for It may be promised that this is a
case that breaks all engagements, and
is esteemed as a great honor by parents
the intended husband Is not expected
to weep over what he loses, for Le has
never seen it.
When the young girl reaches her
twelfth or thirteenth year, she receives
the nuptial blessing, and the husband
cannot see the face of his wife until
after that ceremony. Xo woman, not
even the wife, takes part in the sol
emnity of marriage, which is effected
by proxy, delegated to an uncle or to
an elder brother, often with a full
beard, who plays the roll of the bride.
The parents ot the couple sign the con
tract before the imam ot their quarter,
in the presence of a few friends, who
act as witnesses. The nuptials are then
celebrated by the families with a calm
ness and gravity that would be as
suitable for a funeral as for a weJding.
The sexes never mingle at these fes
tivities. The men take their pleasure
in silence In their selamlik; the women
a little more noisily it Is but natural
la the baremlik.
A Group of Queens.
The Queens in southern Europe are
a remarkably interesting group of
women. The Queen of Koumania, or
Carmen Sylva, is not only a poetes3,
and full of picturesque romance, but
she lately underwent examination for
a diploma that might give her a right
to do certain teaching in the public
schools. Everybody knows of the
skillful manner in which Christiana,
the Queen of Spam, performs her un
wonted duties. And now Margaret, of
Savoy, the Queen of Italy, is to appear
as an author, with her stories founded
on the legends of the Middle Ages.
Among the various languages spoken
fluently by this Queen is English, in
which she reads every new book ot
importance, keeping herelf posted on
Engliab politics and gossip. In religious
matters she is neither too liberal i oi
too devote, and she is a passional e pa-1
trtot. In person she is lovely, fair aud
bright, more graceful than niuje.-tie, '
with a feminine sweetness very attrac
tive in a royal personage. Her famiiy
relations are perfect; she is the intimate
friend ot ber young son, the Prince ot
Naples; and, often seen on tho streets '
and among the shops, she is idolized
by the people.
A Warning.
Alfred Stlnit, of Corvalii. Or.,
loves good whisky and bad whisky, for
that matter, and also knows the danzer
t -i t- it ivi. ..,. i i ij
Luab uo la iu. ucuw ibis t,aiu iu 1113
local newspaper: "I hereby notify ail
persons within this State that they J
must not give or sell me any iutoxicat-
ing drink under any consideration. It
they do I will prosecute them to the '
full extent ot the law."
NEWS IX BRIEF.
An ocean steamship is said to have
used 520,000 worth ot coal on a recent
voyage.
For the theft of a shilling shirt a
poor devil in England was sent to a
cell for five years.
A manufactory of bogus rare old
coins is said to have been found by de
tectives in Pittsburgh.
Brick is being imported from Chi
cago to be tsed in a new city building
in San Diego, California.
A new absurdity Is to put a crape
bow on the collar of a pet dog whose
owner Is in mourning.
A season of German opera costs
every owner of a box in the Xew York
Metropolitan fully $o,000.
The Emperor of Brazil, who has
been quite ill, Is reported out of danger
by the South American papere.
A "war" between sugar refiners
in California is reported to be making
sugar "dirt cheap" out that way.
A petrified human being Is said to
lave been discovered in a cave on iand
mountain, Tennessee, a few days ago.
At the door of a Parisian tobacco
shop is the legend "Gentlemen are re
quested not to smoke inside the shop."
The Granite Mountain Mice in
Montana has paid twenty-two dividends
in fifteen months amounting to il.
500,000. In Hawthorne, Nebraska, sand i-i
often used to extinguish tires in the
absence of water.and it i3 said to be quite
effectual.
Englis'a is said to be the favorite
of the new Turkish Minister to this
country, Malviri Bey, who speak3six
languages.
The yield of one Dakota farm is
given as 60,000 bushels of wheat,
8,000 bushels of barley anl VI wj
bushels of oats.
The Chief Burgomaster of Berlin
gets a salary equivalent to about SToW
per annum of our money, exclusive of
an allowance for rent.
! A recent temperance lecturer pro
pounded the theory that the bicycle is
a means of grace, since none but a
perfectly sober man can ride one suc
cessfully. I London had. ou March 10th, exclu
sive ot lunatics in asylums, pat.ep' y.
small-pox and fever hospitals, jtl
grants, 103,711 paupers tfflcia.iy re
ported in her care.
The first mass in the present limits
of the United States was said on the
spot recently occupied by the old Cath
edral at St. Augustine, Florida, which
was destroyed recently.
Measles broke out March 25 in the
Brooklyn Nursery, and of the 00 child
ren in the institution only five escated.
Seventeen little ones died and 33 re
mained on the sick list.
A party of over o J school girls at
tacked the Governor of California at
Hsd Bluff, in that State, recently, aud
succeeded in oltaimng a kiss apiece be
fore he couid be rescued.
Edward Gould, of Portland, at
more than four score, is still cashier
of the National Traders' Bank of tbat
city, a position which he has held con
tinuously for fifty-three years.
The next Legislature of It;nx!e
Island will contain a Frenchman, wl o
was elected lately, an element of mem
bership not heretofore known in the
Assembly of that State it is said.
A sort of Free Masonry, it Is said,
exists among the Chinese that finds
expression oa goods sent to the!r laud
dry. Certain sign mean "bad pay,"
"no good," "heap slippery," etc.
A postmaster at Cope, Indiana,
has resigned, but the rush for the suc
cession is not likely to be great. His
salary amounted to o cents less tuan
halt a dollar for the month f March.
A. party of sportsmen from Ogdens
burg, NV w Jersey, had great success in
duck hunting recently, but it has since
turned out thut most of-what they
bagged were the tame ducks of a gen-
tie man.
A thler stole the coat of Rev. D. B.
Terry, of Brooklyn, while the latter
was preaching, succeeding also in car
rying off the manuscript of his sermon
on "The Wages or Siu." wtiich was in
a pocket of the garment.
A woman of Spartanburg, South
Carolina, while carrying an armload of
wood, was attacked recently by a rabid
do?, but, dropping a portion of her
loud, she turned the tables by beating
out the brains cf the do with one of
her billets.
During the past winter Mrs. Mary
Miller, of Hillsborough, New Hamp
shire (where the season still lingers).
red daily eisnc gray squirrels, which
came to her door from the woods every
morning and departed alter having had
their breakfast.
In Saa Francisjo there are four
Journals regularly published in Chinese
characters, lhese appear weekly and
have a circulation of 2,300 copies.
It requires four persous to run a Chin
ese journal, an editor, a sub-editor, a
translater and a printer.
Japan grows enormous quantities
of sorghum cane, and large quantities
of granulated sugar have been made
from it. The product for one vear waa
estimated at 512,000.000 rounds. The
principal crop of this country is rice;
one-half the entire land under cultiva
tion, it is said, beinjr devoted to its
growth.
A carpenter was blown from the
top of a twenty-five foot ladder in
Orange, New Jersey, while he was
making repairs to a window, but he
carried with him the sash which, act
ing as a parachute, let him gently down
to the lawn uninjured.
A prize of $100 having been offered
for the best design for a new silver
dollar, the Macon Telejrapb hopes to
secure it by this offer: "On one side,
the rising sun, a cornucopia rampant,
and the legend, 'Honesty is the best
policy. Oa the other in long primer,
"Turn the rascals out." Between the
two, one dollar's worth of silver.
A large number of images of ai.ge's
and saints having len introduced into
the Cathedral of St. Giles, at Edin
burgh, Scotland, a petition, signed by
500 residents of the parish, was recently
presented to the Edinburgh Presby
tery, askiDg that the Courts should take
steps to have these images removed,
"as enjoined by the Bible and laws if
the national Church."
Oil has been "struck" in Egypt by
boring In the Jjlel Zt-it (oil mountain),
on the shore of the Ked Sea, ISO miles
tram Suez. Petroleum has long beeu
supposed to exist in the country, for
the ancient mummy cloths were soaked
in it, and the exudations from the fis
sures of this very mountain have been
used by the natives from time im rut tut
orial as a specific for rtieumati'
skin diseases.
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